


An Unending Chain of Surprises

by JoyHeart



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Alpha, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Beta!Yuuri, Beta/Beta, Beta/Omega, Betas and Omegas skate as one division, Fluff, Multi, No Sex, Omega Verse, Omega!Victor, Omega/Omega, Victor is still a hopeless romantic at heart tho, a few alphas, at least not shown, every combination is fair game ok, follows show plot but with added abo elements, lots of fictional sjw stuff, most of them are betas with some omegas, no mpreg shown, no mpreg shown but some implied, omegas are NOT owned by alphas, omegas breaking barriers, omegas have rights, omegas inspiring omegas, past omega suffragists ftw, probably, this is explained
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-09-19 01:52:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 75,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9412466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoyHeart/pseuds/JoyHeart
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki is one of the dime-a-dozen top certified Beta Men's figure skaters in Japan. He has just lost his first Beta/Omega Men's Grand Prix Final, and lost hard. Going home for the first time in five years, Yuuri is going to have to figure out what he's going to do next. Is he going to stay in the world of professional figure skating, and if so... how?After an accidental upload of Yuuri skating his idol Victor Nikiforov's gold medal winning program goes viral, Yuuri finds himself face to face with the Omega Male legendary five time World Championship gold medalist sitting butt ass naked in his family hot spring, claiming he's going to be his new coach! While the world goes nuts at the thought of the first and only omega to win gold at the world championship level retiring to become the first Omega to openly coach a professional Beta figure skater, Yuuri is just stuck in a spiral of confusion as Victor surprises him at every turn. Why does Victor keep showing up naked wherever Yuuri goes? Why does he keep touching him? Why does he smell so good? Maybe it's an omega thing.





	1. The Grand Prix of Tears

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, hi fujoshichansan, this is the thing I made because of your inspiration. Hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> To everyone else... hello. I uh... don't usually like reading omegaverse fics unless they are specially subverting tropes. I read a certain fanfic about pseudo science as applied to omega verse, and I'm intrigued by the implications of it more than the actual sex and mpreg that seems to attract most fans to the trope. So, this is me basically just rewriting YOI but with omegaverse elements and fictional social justice things. 
> 
> Now, most of the aspects of this version of the omegaverse will be explained in the text, but I want to make a few things clear upfront:
> 
> Omegas have rights. They can vote and compete in sports and hold jobs legally. They are protected under the law as full citizens. However, on a social level, there are of course still people with stigma against omegas in the workplace and such, but on the alternate side of that, there are those who are very supportive of the idea of omegas breaking barriers and operating outside of the home and outside of a mated relationship. 
> 
> Alphas do not run society. There are less Omegas and Alphas than there are betas, so although alphas do often end up sports stars and with good movie roles and can attain individually high positions in companies, Betas still are found on every level of society. There is no alpha elite here.
> 
> In this, the science will be mostly in line with parts of Hells Bartender's "A/B/O: Adventures in Fake Science" http://archiveofourown.org/works/4299357/chapters/9803262 . Mostly the parts where essentially alpha women and omega men are pretty much fertile intersex persons, and omega women and alpha men are morphologically speaking almost identical to their beta counterparts of the same primary gender, with the exception of them being able to secrete pheromones and have moments of hormonal overload, as well as "heats" for omegas. Betas do not have particularly noticeable pheromones, but can smell the pheromones of alphas and omegas even if they are not overtly affected by them. 
> 
> Omegas and Alphas are uncommon, but NOT rare. Also, Betas can have alpha and omega children. It's slightly more common for a couple that composes one or more alphas or omegas to have alpha or omega children, but Betas can easily have them as well as all Betas have some alpha or omega DNA in their family tree, and even a pair that does not involve a Beta can have Beta children. It is NOT considered shameful for an alpha parent to have a beta or omega child.
> 
> An omega and heat does NOT cause either the omega or alpha to 'lose control of themselves' and turn into a sex crazed animal. It does make them feel aroused, but while some alphas claim they 'lost control' and raped an omega in heat, and while this used to be considered true by this omegaverse society, science has now proven that alphas still have agency in these situations and it is not considered an acceptable legal defense.
> 
> Anyway, that's some of the big stuff I want out of the way about this verse. Most of it won't come into direct play, but is good set dressing. 
> 
> So, please enjoy. Or not. Idc really.

**An Unending Chain of Surprises**

**“** _He never fails to surprise me. Ever since I first saw his skating, it’s been an unending chain of surprises.”_

**Episode 1 – The Grand Prix of Tears!**

The Sochi Grand Prix Final was supposed to have been his chance.

_“He’s also crushed the free skating event! It will be the fifth consecutive Grand Prix Final victory for Russia’s ground breaking Omega champion, Victor Nikiforov! Nikiforov is now 27 years old, the oldest Omega to ever compete competitively, as well as the first and so far only Omega to have brought home gold at the international level of Men’s Beta/Omega figure skating. This has caused speculation that he might retire this season, but his masterful performance seems to lay such rumors to rest. Of course, with such flair and appeal, it is unlikely that Nikiforov will have difficulty finding mate no matter when he chooses to retire, so that’s not a concern for him.”_

Yuri frowned as he listened to the announcer’s voice as it broadcast in the green room. Of course, Victor was going to win. Yuri had known that when he got to Sochi, he didn’t want to win but he at least wanted… he had wanted…

_“As for Katsuki Yuri, the Japanese Beta who earned a spot in the Grand Prix for the first time, what do you think, Honda-san?”_

He had wanted…

_“Well, he didn’t perform like his usual self today.”_

Yuri’s face was a stone as he listened. He had at least not wanted to make such a fool of himself. The announcer was being kind, the reporters on his news app were much more accurate. He stared emotionlessly down at the headline “Men’s Beta/Omega Figure Skating: Katsuki Suffers Utter Defeat.”

“Hey, Yuri.” Yuri slowly looked up as his Coach Celestino, an older but still handsome Beta man, stared down at him with an irritated expression. “Don’t look at the news. We’re going back to the hotel.”

Yuri looked back at his phone, not having really listened to his coach at all. Instead, he reads another headline out loud. “Katsuki Fell to Last Place. Is This Season His Last?”

Celestino sighed deeply. “Ah, Yuri…”

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Yuri brushed past his coach and headed for the men’s toilets, made a dash through the divider in the Beta section, and practically dove into a stall to hide himself before his shoulders started shaking. How had he let himself think he could do this? He was just Yuri Katsuki, just one of the dime-a-dozen top beta figure skaters certified by the JSF, and he’d just proved how mediocre he was by coming in dead last at his first Grand Prix Final.

He had done everything he could have to practice, every day he worked hard, he had even moved from his family’s hot spring inn, the Yu-topia Akatsuki in Hatsetsu, Japan to Detriot, Michigan in order to train at a top facility. But when push came to shove, he’d started binge-eating under pressure and then he’d gotten word that his family poodle, Vicchan had died. That combination had him cramping up both mentally and physically, and it had really destroyed him on the ice. He had no one to blame but himself.

Yuri startled when he remembered he’d promised to call his mom as soon as he had finished his free skate. He fumbled to pull out his phone, swallowing and hoping to keep his rising emotions out of his voice as he hit the button to call his mother.

The phone barely rung once before his mother’s happy voice was blaring in his ear. Her upbeat attitude was usually appreciated, but right now it only made him feel worse as he heard her exclaim excitedly about how she was going to have a big viewing party when the final aired on TV later in the day.

“I-I, mom really, I’m so embarrassed. I-“ Yuri felt a sob rise in his throat, “I’m sorry I messed up.” Not being able to handle the thought of his mom hearing him cry, he hung up quickly and then just let loose. He let his tears fall freely as his hands and shoulders shook. He’d messed up. Everyone was counting on him to do well and put Hatsetsu back on the map for something and now he had to go back to Detroit and have everyone look at him and know how much he failed, and-

**BAM!**

Yuri’s self-destructive thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang against his stall door. Extremely startled, Yuri got off the toilet seat and opened the door a crack to see what had happened.

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it hadn’t been the Beta/Omega Men’s Junior Grand Prix Final gold medalist Yuri Plisetsky glaring at him like he was gunk scraped off the bottom of his shoe. Then again, Yuri was pretty sure the boy with the nickname “The Russian Punk” didn’t do much other than glare from what he had seen in the televised interviews. Not knowing what to say, Yuri just stared at the blonde Russian and wondered vaguely if he was even in the right restroom. He couldn’t remember if the blonde was a beta or an omega offhand, but when it came to skaters it was usually hard to tell just from looking, especially with the younger ones.

Abruptly, the Russian Yuri made an annoyed sound and stuck his finger in Yuri’s face and spoke in a surprisingly rough voice for someone with such a lithe body.

“Hey. I’m competing in the senior division next year. We don’t need two beta Yuri’s in the same bracket. Incompetents like you should just retire already.” He stood on his tip toes to get his face directly in Yuri’s, “MORON!”

This screamed, the Russian Yuri strode out of the bathroom with all the confidence of the burliest alpha. If Yuri had been in a better state of mind, he might have found that almost funny. As it was, he was sort of in a standstill as his mind tried to decide if it wanted to continue its downwards spiral to the point of letting a fifteen year old bully him to even more tears, or if the calm apathy of free fall would envelope him as it had earlier and just leave him to file away the fact that Russian Yuri was apparently a beta. Noted.

Yuri took himself to the sink and washed the tear stain trails off his face. He blew his nose, and did his best to appear as though he hadn’t been sobbing, though he couldn’t do much about the redness of his eyes and nose. When he rejoined his coach, he knew Celestino could tell what he had been doing in the bathroom but thankfully he chose not to comment. Instead the two headed toward the entrance of the stadium to they could go back to the hotel.

They were almost at the door when Yuri heard his name called.

“Yuri. About your free performance, the step sequence could use more-”

He turned his head, only to realise it wasn’t him who was being addressed.

“I won, so who cares? Quit nagging, Victor.” The Russian Yuri said in a snarky voice as he and Victor Nikiforov walked by within a few feet of the Japanese skater.

Victor was beautiful, of course. Tall, slender, graceful, proud. Confident. Talented. Everything Yuri wasn’t. A true god on the ice, Yuri had been a fan since he’d started skating as a kid. Victor had only been in the junior championships then, but Yuri always found him the greatest inspiration. He’d always dreamed of skating on the same ice as Victor, and now…

Yuri froze when Victor’s head turned and they made eye contact.

“Oh? Would you like a commemorative photo? That’s fine with me!” Victor said with a practiced, stunning smile. Oh god, did he even realise that Yuri had competed with him that day? He… he was just that far under Victor’s notice… this was humiliating. He had been an idiot for thinking he could finally meet his idol as equals.

Turning without a word, Yuri hurried out past his coach and into the street. He couldn’t stand to have his unworthy gaze held by his hero any longer.

*

It was four months after that Grand Prix Finals that Yuri Katsuki decided to leave Detroit, maybe for good, and travel back to his hometown in Hatsetsu to figure out what to do next. The last year had been a disaster for him professionally. After the Grand Prix Finals disaster, he’d gotten even more anxious and stressed. He ended up losing again in the Nationals, and so didn’t make the cut for any other championships that year.

He had managed to graduate from college, which was something, but he had told Celestino that he couldn’t skate under his instruction in Detroit anymore. Without a coach, or direction, the future was hard to grasp. He really had no idea what he was going to do next at all. Really, going back to Hatsetsu to see his family again was the only thing that made sense, seeing as it had been five whole years since he’d last visited them.

As Yuri walked through Hatsetsu station he was jarred out of the haze of his own little world, ironically, by a giant picture of his face on the station wall. Specifically, on a poster proclaiming him a hero of their small town.

“WHAT’S THIS?!” Yuri exclaimed out loud, probably startling the passersby.

A familiar voice shouted from behind him. “Yuri! Why are you skulking around?!”

“Minako?!” He had a sneaking suspicion that she probably had something to do with this.

The tall alpha woman in question gave a giant grin and did a full pirouette as she unfurled a giant WELCOME HOME banner that she had evidentially made herself if the sake stain on the edge had anything to say about it. “Welcome back, after five long years!”

“Why are you here?” Yuri asked, blunt to a point where it might come off as rude had it been to anyone other than his old ballet instructor.

“Stand up straight, will you?” Minako snapped as she did a full scan of Yuri’s body, which was currently done up in two sweaters and an overcoat, as well as a wool hat and basically he looked like a human marshmallow. Still, he felt self-conscious as the alpha woman seemed suspicious of the outfit.

“Uh…”

“Hey, isn’t that Yuri Katsuki?”

Yuri’s neck hurt from how fast he turned it to see a man speaking to his friend. He was recognised, even with all these clothes on?! Already?!

“Yeah that’s him,” the man’s friend responded, loud enough for what seemed like everyone around them to hear, “I haven’t heard any news about him lately. What’s he been up to?”

It seemed like a wall of whispers sprung up around him.

“Hey, do you remember he lost a big competition last year?”

“Wasn’t that the Nationals?”

“Oh well, I’m sure he did his best. His mother runs the hot spring inn down by the-“

“Yes, I’ve met her, lovely beta, his family has always been exemplary hosts!”

“Still, shame he lost to that omega-“

“Well, Victor Nikiforov is no ordinary omega-“

“I still don’t think it’s right that omegas and betas are in the same bracket.”

“Well, it’s better than with alphas-“

“Oh goodness, can you imagine? Alphas competing with betas or omegas would just be dangerous, they get so rowdy! Uncivilized-“

“ALRIGHT! THAT’S ENOUGH!” Minako suddenly shouted, and Yuri staggered back slightly at the sudden overwhelming scent of angry alpha. The surrounding crowd looked shocked for a moment before a few recognised Minako and shouted some rude words at the beta women who had made the disparaging remarks and as those two hurried off with red faces. They likely hadn’t realized Minako was an alpha at all until she was pushed into releasing directed aggressive pheromones. She was muscular, but it was the lean muscle of a dancer, and she usually had a pretty easy going personality unless you hit the wrong buttons.

At any rate, a few people apologized for the insensitive remarks of the ladies and one man asked to shake Yuri’s hand.

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry-“

“Hey!” Minako towered over Yuri, still a bit high on her own pheromones and so would likely be kind of overbearing for a while, “You don’t lose anything by shaking hands! Be polite! Victor Nikiforov is always nice to his fans! Smile!”

Yuri forced a smile as he shook the hand offered. “Thank you for your support.”

He shook a few more hands before Minako finally ushered him out the station doors and into the cold March air with the declaration that he was going to greet everyone in town. Yuri did not find that as exciting as she did.

“Minako, what about your ballet class?”

Minako was quiet for a second, slowing down her brisk pace. “We’re closed today. Heh, I barely have any students these days, anyway. Hatsetsu’s losing more and more people. Hardly any kids are skating or dancing these days. And… there was this one guy who led a smear campaign against an alpha instructing omega kids. I mean, that’s so stupid! You can’t even tell half of which ones will be omegas half the time at the age I teach anyway, they aren’t even close to presenting! Even if they WERE, I’d never- well,” she took a deep breath, “Most people around here know I’d never touch a kid, but any bad press sucks when business is bad anyway.”

She shook her head, and Yuri felt a pang of pity for his old instructor. It was tough for an alpha to get work teaching small children anything, especially ones that look like they might present as omega. Minako had been lucky to find a niche in Hatsetsu, a town small enough that one ballet studio for all genders would have had to do with any teacher that was good enough to teach. But as the town’s livelihood was dying, that being the hot spring inns of which Yuri’s family owned the last, it might be that Minako’s luck was running out too. That wouldn’t help her drinking problem.

But, as per Minako’s trademark optimism, she perked back up on her own. “Well, that just means I have to work harder! Anyway, things have been bleak too long, you should cheer things up around here, Yuri!”

Yuri felt a sudden unexpected wave of guilt and refused to move forward as Minako tried to drag him off again. “I-I’m sorry, I’m just really tired right now.”

“Really? But everyone’s dying to see you.”

“I know, but… maybe I can just go home, first?”

*

When Yuri and Minako finally made it through the warm front door of his family’s hot spring inn, Yuri could hear the familiar sound of the restaurant’s old television set and the murmurs of guests talking quietly. Even as he wondered what he would say to his parents after such a long absence, he couldn’t help but feel a reflexive feeling of relaxation, to be filled with the sounds and smells of home.

Yuri cleared his throat. “I’m back, mom.”

Minako cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “HIROKO! I BROUGHT YURI HOME!”

Yuri heard the expected pattering of feet coming from the restaurant that broke into a run. He leaned back, ready to fend off an over exuberant hug, but his mother managed to pinwheel herself to a stop just in front of her son, though her beaming smile was as warm as any hug could have been. She nodded to Minako first. “Minako, thank you for going to get him.” Then she clasped her hands together in joy as she turned back to her son. “Yuri, welcome home!”

Yuri nodded, though his gaze stopped at his mother’s feet and remained downcast. “Thanks. I’m sorry it’s been five years-“

“It’s okay!” Hiroko said brightly, and Yuri looked up, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your graduation, too. Want a pork cutlet bowl?”

Yuri was about to respond, but Minako cut him off.

“Hey, did you lose weight, Hiroko?”

The plump woman giggled and waved her hand. “Nope! Oh Minako, you always look the same, even though you drink!”

“Eh, I’ve got alpha metabolism, I can handle anything!” Minako laughed boisterously and Hiroko nodded along with an absent smile. Yuri was nodding too, but stopped as Minako’s eyes snapped to him. “Yuri, I’ve been wondering since the station… what’s with that gut? Take your shirt off right now!”

Without warning, Minako grabbed the hem of Yuri’s sweaters and pulled them up, despite Yuri’s protests. She let out a wail of despair.

“NOOOO!”

At that moment, Yuri’s dad, Toshiya, decided to make an appearance.

“Wow, you look just like your mother!”

“Dad, why?” Yuri moaned as Minako made sure every pair of eyes in the busy restaurant was on Yuri’s stomach.

“Toshiya, it’s no laughing matter!” Minako insisted as she pointed to the offending lump of fat, “This is not the weight a figure skater should have!”

Toshiya shrugged. “Well, he always did gain weight easily. But, what can you do? Eat lots of pork cutlet bowls tonight, son!”

Yuri felt himself salivate at the thought of his mother’s house special, and swallowed hard. “Well uh, before that…”

Hiroko’s face lit with understanding and she gave a soft smile. “Oh, that’s right. You go say hi to Vicchan.”

Yuri left the front of the inn and headed for his family’s private rooms in the back. One of the smaller bedrooms had been set up with a shrine with a picture of Vicchan on display. Yuri gave the memorial a small, sad smile as he knelt in front of it on the provided cushion and lit the candles.

“Sorry I couldn’t see you one last time, Vicchan,” Yuri said quietly.

“Yuri. Welcome back.”

Yuri turned to see his older sister standing in the doorway. She was smoking, as usual. He noticed she had a few new piercings in her ears. Mari may have been an omega, but she didn’t feel the need to find a partner. As much as her family and immediate community didn’t feel the need to push her into it though, the fact was that even in the modern world there was still social stigma on an omega that chose to stay single, so she had trouble finding work in her field when she graduated college. Eventually she decided to just stay on and help out at the inn, figuring that if she kept it running she might just inherit it and could at least make a decent living for herself.

“Mari. It’s been a while. Sorry to visit when things are busy.”

Mari gave Yuri an unreadable expression. She was very good at those. “Hey, how long are you staying in Hatsetsu? Will you help out with the hot spring, too?”

“What? Where’s this coming from?”

Mari released a puff of smoke. “You went to college, even though you had to study an extra year. What will you do now? If you’re going to keep skating I’ll support you but…”

“I think… I need more time to think it over.”

The siblings shared a look. Mari had heard that before, many times. Her brother was a thoughtful kind of guy.

“Hmm… well, okay. Go soak in the hot spring and relax.”

“I might just do that.”

There was another silence where Mari looked like she had something else she wanted to say, but changed her mind and left without another word.

*

After taking his sister’s advice and having a nice relaxing soak in the family hot spring, Yuri found himself back in the restaurant, watching the Beta/Omega Men’s Figure Skating Championships on the TV with Minako and the rest of the guests that probably hadn’t been given much of a choice in programming once Minako had entered the room.

“ _Group 2 has now finished skating, and Emil Nekola from the Czech Republic is in first. His free program performance, befitting the season finale, was free from mistakes, earning him a personal best._ ” The announcer stated dutifully from the screen.

“Man, I really wanted to go to the Championships!” Minako moaned. “If only you’d been in it, Yuri. You could’ve told me the skater’s hotel room numbers.”

“I wouldn’t tell you!” Yuri snapped, scandalized, “You expect me to be your one-man ticket agency to score you tickets, don’t you?”

“Not true! I’m just supporting you!”

“ _The last group has just entered the arena. All eyes are on Victor Nikiforov, who’s going for his fifth consecutive World Championship gold, continuing his streak of being the first and only omega male to win gold at this level. He will be skating last. Well, Honda-san, this is certainly unexplored territory, as we have come to expect! It’ll be really interesting to see how far he can go. When you watch Victor…”_

Yuri winced. He didn’t want to think about Victor right now. “Hey, how about we watch football instead?”

A man who had been nearby grabbed the remote from the table. “Sagan Tosu’s having a match right now!”

Minako gasped and dove to snatch the remote back. “Hey! I was watching skating first!”

In the commotion, Yuri got up and headed for the front door, silently donning his jacket and shoes. He passed his mother on the way out.

“Oh, where are you going, Yuri?”

“Sorry. I’m going to practice for a bit.”

“Take care!”

*

The road to the Ice Castle skating rink was well travelled, and Yuri didn’t need to think much about it as his feet took him on autopilot to the one place he always knew he could go when he had a lot on his mind. The ice had always been a second home to him, and there was a certain sense of peace as he entered. He approached the desk, seeing the girl there was arranging equipment. A girl he knew very well.

“Excuse me!” Yuri said politely.

“I’m sorry, our regular hours are over,” the girl said, turning slowly until she saw who had spoken and a giant smile beamed across her face.

“It’s been a while, Yuko.”

“Yuri? Oh my gosh, it’s been forever! I heard you were coming back home, but I didn’t know it was today!” As always, Yuko was a pile of excitement. She had been Yuri’s rink mate when they were kids, and was now twenty-five. She had been Yuri’s idol, The Madonna of Ice Castle Hatsetsu. She was still as cute as ever… Yuri had to admit, the pretty omega girl had been his first crush as well as his best friend. “You came to skate, right? Go ahead!”

“Really? Are you sure? If you’re closed I won’t impose-“

“Nonsense! You just want to skate alone for now, right? Go on, I’ll protect you!” Yuko gave Yuri a wink, and the man blushed lightly.

“Thank you.”

*

Yuko had always protected Yuri. As was usual for young figure skaters, he’d been given an ultrasound at age seven to determine if he was going to present as an omega later on. Once it was confirmed he would be at least a beta (and probably not an alpha given his family lineage, personality, and body type) he had gotten a lot of teasing for being boring, fat, and- as Yuko later showed all signs of going to present as an omega- he often got teased for having an omega protect him as well. But Yuri was never really bothered by the last thing. Yuko treated him like a precious younger brother to protect, and Yuri looked up to her for her talent on the ice and her kind, giving nature. And they both shared an enormous passion for figure skating. It was because of Yuko that Yuri developed such a huge appreciation for Victor Nikiforov in the first place.

He could remember Yuko dumping any piece of information she had on Victor.

_“He’s Russian, and an omega, like me! He won the gold in the Junior Worlds with the highest score in history, higher than even the alpha division! He’s so cool!”_

They would practice together on the ice, working to imitate the moves they had seen Victor do in his programs. Their motto could have been ‘What would Victor do, here?’

Then of course there was the time Yuko had run up to Yuri before practice and had practically shoved a skating magazine in his face. _“This says Victor has a poodle. He’s super cute!”_ And they had both become enchanted with the adorable dog. So much that Yuri had begged his parents to get one just like Victor’s, and they had in the end indulged him.

He could remember the look on Yuko’s face when she had seen the dog for the first time. _“You have a poodle now, too?”_

_“Yes, I named him ‘Victor’.”_

_“You really like Victor, huh? I hope I can see you compete against Victor one day.”_

When Yuri’s skates hit the ice, he made a decision. If there was anyone he wanted to share his pet project of the last four months with, it was with Yuko.

“Um, Yuko?”

“Yes?” Yuko asked from the side of the rink.

“I, um, I wanted you to see this. I’ve been practicing it since the competitions ended. Please watch.”

Yuri skated to the centre of the rink, and took a starting stance that would be familiar to a skating otaku like Yuko. She gasped as he started to move. “This is…”

Anxiety and nerves had always been Yuri’s downfall on the professional circuit. He could practice and perfect every move during his training sessions, but once he was in front of an audience, especially if he had anything on his mind, or if the prior skaters were particularly good, he tended to mess up and badly. Plus, he didn’t recover well after one mistake, and if he fell once you could be sure more would follow. As such, despite his obvious talent to his friends and family and coaches, he would never get very far in competitions, as was his constant shame.

But here, with no pressure, and just the omega girl who had always supported him no matter what watching, Yuri felt confident enough to skate the routine that had won Victor Nikiforov the gold medal at multiple championships now. Even though Yuri hadn’t set up any music, the notes of “Stay Close To Me” played in his head as he skated backwards and forwards, making each turn and spin with grace and ease.

The first jump was a quadruple Lutz, which he executed flawlessly. The second was Victor’s signature move, the quadruple flip. He landed it with confidence. The flying sit spin was easy enough, Yuri never had problems with spins, even in competitions.

He turned the quadruple Salchow into another flip. He wasn’t quite confident enough to try that one just yet, but even though he knew Yuko would notice, she wouldn’t say anything.

Then the combination of triple Lutz and triple flip, done perfectly. Finally, the quadruple toe loop which was tough this late in the routine but Yuri had enough stamina to manage it. Then was a combination spin, challenging… ending with the famous pose with his hands held high in the air.

Yuri was left staring at the ceiling and breathing hard, red in the face from the exertion. He really needed to get back into shape.

“That was SO COOL!”

Yuri snapped out of his thoughts to see Yuko slamming her hands on the edge of the rink, looking fired up.

“It was a perfect copy of Victor! I’m glad to see you’ve still got it, I would have thought you’d still be depressed after not making the Worlds or anything.”

“I was.” Yuri said this honesty, more honesty then he’d show anyone else who said something like that. “But… I got bored of feeling depressed, so I decided that I wanted to get my love for skating back. I used to have so much fun just copying Victor with you, I wanted skating to be fun again. And, and uh, Yuko I… I’ve always…”

There was a sudden commotion as three little identical chubby cherub faces appeared poking over the side of the rink and started squealing excitedly. Yuri’s eyes widened as the intruders were gathered up by Yuko as she laughed with embarrassment.

“Axel, Lutz, and Loop! My girls have grown a lot since you last saw them, huh? I think I told you that the doctor confirmed that Axel is going to present alpha like her dad. Only time will tell what happens with the other two.”

“Oh, uh, yeah I think maybe you did mention that,” Yuri blinked in vague recollection of that phone call. Somehow he had not realized till this moment that the triplets barely out of infancy when he had left Japan last would be able to walk and talk by now.

“Yuri, you really did get fat!” Lutz commented, and Yuri’s arms instinctively went down to hide his stomach.

“Are you really retiring?” asked Loop.

“You’ve never dated anyone?” Axel probed, and Yuri felt a blush paint his cheeks again.

“Uh…”

“Sorry! My girls are such groupies!” Yuko said as she tried to reign in the triplets.

Suddenly, a deep merry voice came ringing across the ice, to excited shouts of ‘Daddy!’ from the girls. “They’re all your fans, Yuri. Welcome back!”

“Nishigori!” Yuri exclaimed as the man, another childhood friend and former rink mate, grabbed him up from behind in a big bear hug… only to grab the hem of his shirt and lift it to show off his soft belly. “Hey, stop that!”

“Now you’re fatter than me! You can come by the Ice Castle any time you want to train. The Nishigori family’s always got your back!”

“Yuri, go, go! Lose weight!” Axel cheered from beside her alpha dad. Yuri looked at the happy family and felt a swelling of something in his chest. During the five years he was away, he had tried to ignore a lot of things by focusing on skating. He had to figure out what he needed to keep skating on his own.

“Thank you, I’ll probably do that.”

*

Later that night, Yuri was sitting in his bedroom contemplating the future. He knew that Yuri Plitsetsky would be competing in senior division next year, and from the footage he had seen, the young beta boy was primed to follow in Victor’s footsteps to be the next Russian skating hero. The pressure was on but… he simply had to skate on the same ice as Victor someday. He needed a second chance, if he could just-

Yuri’s phone notification ring tone rang from his pocket, and he pulled it out. “Huh?” He checked the sender. “Nishigori?” He opened the message and clicked the link. “WHAT?!” He hurriedly hit the dial button and Nishigori picked up a second later. “What’s going on? Why is there a video of me skating Victor’s routine online?!”

“I’m sorry, Yuri. My kids uploaded the video on Yuko’s account and it went viral. We’re getting them to delete it from her account but… I’m pretty sure other people will have it downloaded by now.”

Yuri’s bedroom door slammed open suddenly and Minako stormed in holding a bottle of sake and waving her phone around as though it had personally offended her. “What’s with that video?! It’s being retweeted everywhere!”

“… Goodnight.” Yuri said in a flat voice as he hung up the phone and fell over.

“DON’T GO TO SLEEP, ANSWER ME!” Minako demanded as Yuri closed his eyes and waited for the sweet embrace of death.

Little did he know that far away, a certain famous omega man was observing Yuri’s video with a very thoughtful expression.

*

The next day around mid-morning, Yuri was woken up by his mother’s voice through his bedroom door. “Yuri, don’t hole up in your room! Help shovel snow!”

Yuri blinked and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. “Snow?” he mumbled to himself as he opened his blinds. “Oh wow, what the… snow in April? That’s unusual, what’s on the news…” he dug out his phone and hit the home button, but the screen didn’t light up. “Oh yeah, I turned off my phone so I wouldn’t get calls.” Shrugging, he decided to check the news later and instead pulled on his clothes before headed down to the front hall where he grabbed his coat and boot. Readying a shovel, he opened the door to the back porch to start shoveling, only to discover a standard poodle panting at him.

“Vicchan?” Yuri said in shock. “Wait no- ah!” Yuri shrieked as the poodle leapt at him, knocking him to the ground and frantically licking his face. Yuri continued to mumble while dazed. “You’re bigger than Vicchan. You… wait… could you be? No… no it can’t be.”

Toshiya chose that moment walk up beside his downed son and shook his head with a good natured laugh. “Yuri, isn’t he just like Vicchan? This guy came here this morning with a really good looking foreign guest! He’s in the hot spring right now. Oh, what’s wrong?” Toshiya asked in a worried tone as Yuri leapt to his feet and took off running toward the backyard hot spring. It couldn’t be, there was no possible way…

But when he entered the backyard, breathing hard from the effort, Yuri discovered that it wasn’t only possible, it was accurate.

Somehow, some way, Victor Nikiforov was just… in the hot spring. He was just… there. In the hot spring. In his parents’ hot spring. Victor was in… but…

“Vi-Victor. I- Why are you here?”

Yuri felt his proverbial tail tuck between his legs as Victor gave a stunning smile and lifted himself out of the water, his sculpted body glisteningly wet as he extended both hands palm-up toward Yuri.

He was most entirely and completely nude. Yuri found this unexpectedly distracting.

“Yuri, starting today, I’m your coach. I’ll make sure you win the Grand Prix Final.” The omega man gave Yuri a big wink and Yuri was pretty sure that was when his soul entirely left his body.

“Huh? What?!” Yuri sputtered and flailed as Victor gave him an increasingly confused, though still smiling, expression. There was going to have to be some sort of explanation, because this was probably the most unexpected thing to ever have happened in Yuri’s life up until this point.

But as Yuri would soon learn, this would be only the first in an unending chain of surprises.


	2. Two Yuris?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor starts training Yuri Katsuki, while Yuri Plitsetsky comes up with a daring plan to 'rescue' the wayward omega from Japan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm still just super creatively following the exact plot of the anime while throwing random a/b/o dynamics and headcanons into the script. I honestly don't know if it's going to ever diverge from this or not, but I'm mostly writing this for funsies anyway, so you either like this or you don't. Oh well.

**Episode 2 – Two Yuris? Drama at Yu-topia**

In a faraway land called Russia approximately 12 hours ago, a platinum blond ice prince walked down a snowy path, pulling a suitcase behind him. His harried coach followed him with an expression that spoke of more frustration than any one person should rightly contain.

“Victor! Don’t go! Stay here!” Coach Yakov demanded.

The prince turns, a wistful smile on his lips. “Yakov, you were the best coach I ever had. You always will be. I’m glad I took a chance on an old alpha like you.”

“Took a chance? I’m literally the best in the business.” Yakov’s eyes narrowed. “If you walk away now, you can never come back!”

The prince, Victor Nikiforov, walks back toward his coach, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. “ _Dasvidaniya_.” He presses a soft kiss to the old alpha man’s cheek. “I’m sorry I can’t do as you say this time.”

With that, Victor flashed a cheeky grin and a peace sign before running to board a plane.

“YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU’VE NEVER DONE AS I SAID IN THE FIRST PLACE!” Yakov screamed futilely at the sky.

Victor looked out the plane window and smiled. “You should come visit Japan, Yakov!” He said happily, mostly to himself, as the plane took off.

*

In Hatsetsu, Hiroko looked up when the door to the sitting room flew open, revealing Minako looking livid as hell.

“YURI! Why aren’t you answering your cell?!”

“What’s wrong, Minako?” Hiroko asked, a touch worried.

“There’s a rumor that Victor Nikiforov is going to be Yuri’s coach!” Minako shouted, “What’s that about?!”

“Oh, is that all?” Hiroko said, her smile holding a hint of relief. “Vicchan’s here already.”

“WHAT?!”

Hiroko put a finger to her lips and ushered Minako into the other room where, sure enough, famed figure skater Victor Nikiforov was lying on the floor in a bathrobe sound asleep with Yuri kneeling over him staring as though he suspected he was in fact hallucinating. Minako wasn’t sure if she wasn’t hallucinating too. Group hallucinations were a thing, right?

“Yuri!” Minako said, more demanding than she meant to. She was leaking hysteric alpha pheromones all over the place, but neither of the beta in the room were impolite enough to mention it. “Why is Victor sleeping in one of the inn’s robes?!”

Yuri shook his head slowly, still in disbelief himself. “He soaked in the hot spring and had dinner, then fell asleep.”

Minako, starting to come to grips with the situation, looked at Yuri with a kind of awe. “Well… it’s huge news in Russia that Victor’s taking the next season off to consider his next move. Some people think he found an alpha and got pregnant but, the biggest rumour going around is that he saw the video of your skating routine and was struck by inspiration. Then he decided to be your coach. It’s a big deal, since if you stay on the professional circuit, Victor is going to make history again by being the first omega to coach a professional beta skater.”

“Oh yeah, I hadn’t even thought about him being the first omega to do that. Omegas mostly just coach kids, or junior division… maybe other omegas, don’t they? ” Yuri blinked, “So, do you think he’s just here to be another first for something?”

Minako tapped a finger to her chin. “Well, even if he’s just doing it to make another stride for omegas, he still came here because he chose you, Yuri. You brought him here! That’s incredible!”

Yuri continued to stare down at Victor, digesting that. There were a lot of betas out there that would probably be thrilled to have Victor as a coach, no matter what gender he was. So for him to be there to coach him… he must have seen something in his skating that he really liked, right?

*

At a skating rink in Russia, a certain young blond beta male skater named Yuri Pletsetsky was looking at his phone news feed and growing more and more livid by the second.

“What?! Victor went to Japan to be Yuri Katsuki’s coach? That fatso?! Did that omega space case forget what he promised me?! YAKOV! Explain this to me!” Yuri yelled, but Yakov was outside fending off news crews asking about Victor’s sudden whim to start coaching.

“Victor wants to take time off to find his motivation again,” Yakov said gruffly to the camera, “Personally, I doubt he’ll be able to return if he takes a break now.”

“The rumors say he’s going to coach beta skater, Yuri Katsuki in Japan-“

“THAT OMEGA ONLY THINKS OF HIMSELF!” Yakov yelled, face turning red as the reporter struck a nerve, “He’ll never make it as a coach!”

“Are you saying that, as an omega, Victor Nikiforov isn’t suited to training a beta on the professional circuit?”

Yakov’s eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him, trying to calm the rage that had built inside him, “No, no I’m not saying that. God, my ex-wife was an omega dancer, and she trained all genders to accomplish great things! I’m just saying that in Victor’s case-“

“Did Yuri Katsuki get Victor preganant at the last Grand Prix Final they shared together?”

“WHO SAID THAT?!” Yakov screamed again, aghast, “No! Victor isn’t pregnant!”

The questions only got more ridiculous from there, and Yakov had to excuse himself to go calm down. He was sure his pheromones must have been enough to knock out a block. He waved off Yuri’s expected screams for explanations to go use the shower. Why did Victor have to be like this? He never thought about how his actions affected other people…

*

Back at the Yu-topia hot spring, Victor sneezed.

Yuri gasped. “He’s awake.” He did not stop staring. Victor did not appear to mind that he had accrued an audience to his afternoon nap.

“I’m starving…” Victor asked with a yawn and a stretch that ended with his robe slipping off one shoulder, revealing creamy skin. He didn’t bother to fix it and both Minako and Yuri had trouble removing their eyes from it even as they answered.

“He still wants to eat?” Minako asked in surprise.

“What would you like to eat?” Yuri asked in a hurry, suddenly eager to please.

“Hmm…” Victor looked up and put a finger to his lips in thought before flashing a pearly white grin. “As your coach, I’d like to know what your favourite food is, Yuri!”

“What?” Yuri was a bit shocked at the request but quickly asked his mom to make a pork cutlet bowl for Victor. While she was busy with it, Victor stumbled up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and not paying much attention to what his robe was still managing to cover. Yuri saw Minako’s nose was starting to bleed and quickly covered her eyes, pulling her from the room and pointedly looking away as Victor adjusted himself and woke up a bit more.

By the time Victor had managed to bring himself to sit at the table, with Minako and Yuri sitting across from him still at varying levels of disbelief, the pork cutlet bowl was nearly done. When Hiroko brought it out and offered it to Victor, the first bite was met by a loud series of exclamations.

“ _Vkusno_! Amazing! Delicious! Too good for foods! IS this what God eats?”

“I’m glad you like it.” Hiroko said with a bright smile and warm cheeks, “I’m glad you like it. Yuri gains weight easily, so he was only allowed to eat it when he won a competition, isn’t that right, dear?”

“Oh? So have you eaten this pork cutlet bowl recently?” Victor asked Yuri with a tilt to his head.

“Oh, yes, yes, I eat it often!” Yuri said, nodding.

Victor gave a look of honest surprise. “Oh? Why is that? You haven’t won anything.” Yuri felt a stab in his chest as Victor’s eyes quickly crinkled at the edges. “I mean, with that pig’s body of yours, lessons would be pretty meaningless.” He giggled. “I can never coach you if you can’t get your weight back to how it was at last year’s Grand Prix final. So!” Victor winked and pointed straight at Yuri’s soft belly, “Until this is gone, no more pork cutlet bowls. Got it, little piggy?”

Yuri winced. “I feel like I should be offended by that…”

From the other room, Yuri heard Mari calling. “Hey, this luggage is in the way!”

Victor looked toward the doorway as Mari appeared there. “Oh yes, can you take it to the room where I’ll be staying?”

Yuri and Minako jumped. “S-staying?” They said in unison.

“Well, this is the only hot spring inn left in town, isn’t it?” Victor said, blinking with wide eyes. “Besides, I can’t be a proper coach if I wasn’t around to offer advice and encouragement 24 hours a day. Plus, this way I can find out as much about Yuri as possible! You know, to train him properly!” Yuri thought Victor’s sunny smile was simultaneously endearing and unnerving. Somehow.

Victor didn’t help with bringing the numerous boxes upstairs, but then, no one actually asked him to either. Mari and Yuri handled most of it, with Hiroko taking some of the lighter things and then leaving to finishing cooking supper for the other guests.

As Yuri set down the last box, Mari having left to handle other things a short while before, Victor looked around the room with an amazed expression.

“Wow! What a classic, tiny room! Is there a sofa?”

“No, sorry it’s so small,” Yuri said sinking to the floor to rest. He didn’t think it was particularly undersized. “We only had an unused banquet room available.”

Victor winked down at Yuri, who felt a soft blush rise in his cheeks. “You look anxious.” He knelt in from of Yuri, and the beta found himself smelling something very sweet. Was that cologne, or Victor’s natural omega scent? It did remind him a bit of Yuko now that he thought of it.

“Don’t worry so much. You can pay the coaching fee after you achieve success! I’ll bill you later.”

Yuri stared at Victor. “Oh, um, thank you?”

Victor leaned in closer, and Yuri felt his heart beat faster as the scent got stronger. Why did he feel so weird about this? Victor was just being friendly after all… “Yuri, tell me everything about you.”

“What? Ah!”

Yuri let out a choked gasped as Victor placed his fingers under Yuri’s chin and got… rather uncomfortably close now. Gosh his eyes were blue. “What kind of rink do you skate at? What’s in this city? Is there…” Victor ran his fingers down Yuri’s arm and took his sweating hand. Oh god, what… what was this? “Someone you like?” Yuri’s mouth went dry as Victor’s voice turned syrupy. “Before we start practicing, let’s build some trust in our relationship…”

Victor leaned in, and Yuri finally snapped out of whatever haze his mind was in enough to let out a yelp and tear himself away, doing a crab-walk crawl back rapidly until he hit the opposite wall, his entire face lit up.

“What? Why are you running away?” Victor asked with a dumbfounded expression.

“Um, n-no reason…” Yuri mumbled, silently berating himself for being scared to be close to Victor. He was European after all, so he had a different idea of appropriate personal space than Yuri did after all. Yuri remembered how surprised he was when he was in America about how eager his rink mates were to hug in greeting and everything, and he heard sometimes Europeans even kissed in greeting. Yuri had to get used to this, Victor probably thought he was being very impolite.

But even as Yuri scrambled downstairs at his mother’s call for dinner, he still couldn’t quite get Victor’s blue eyes and undeniably attractive scent out of his mind.

*

Yuri lay on his bed that night playing with his phone and staring periodically at the many posters adorning his walls. His whole career as a skater, he idolized Victor Nikiforov. The omega was his inspiration, and he had so much otaku merchandise of him it was borderline obsessive. And now… he was in his house.

Luckily, he had no reason to see Yuri’s bedroom, or that would be incredibly awkward.

Suddenly there was loud banging on the bedroom door. Yuri assumed it was his mom or sister or Minako, and so was about to tell them to come in when a completely unexpected voice called through the door.

“Yuri, let’s sleep together! As your coach, there’s so much I need to learn about you, Yuri!”

Yuri let out a shriek and jumped up from his bed, running to hold the door shut with his body. “NO!” He screamed as Victor continued to knock and call his name. Yuri’s eyes darted again to all the posters in the room and he raced to start pulling them all off the walls. Once they were down, he realized that Victor had stopped calling and had, hopefully, retired back to his own room. But Yuri’s heart was still beating fast… why?

He looked down at the posters in his hands and thought about it again. His lifetime hero was here… here just for him, and no one else?

That was it… his heart was pounding because of how happy he was. Yuri looked down at the poster and, after a second’s hesitation, he hugged it with a silly grin on his face.

*

The next morning, Yuri woke up to someone shaking his shoulder a touch harder than he was used to.

“Huh? W-what?” Yuri yawned, looking up blearily to squint at the blurry figure above him. He squinted and made out a platinum blond head of hair and gasped. “Victor! What are you doing in my room?!”

“I’m here to get you up, silly!” Victor laughed, pulling back the covers of the bed, “Oh, I see you sleep in your underwear. I wouldn’t have taken you for a boxers kind of guy, but-“

“P-PLEASE GET OUT!” Yuri screamed, snatching back the blanket and covering himself. Victor pouted.

“But, as your coach, I need to make sure you are up and ready to start your work out regimen! Starting with a brisk morning jog! And later, you can show me the rink you skate at!”

“The… the rink?”

*

Yuri, along with the Nishigori family, stood at the side of the rink to watch Victor do some practice laps around the ice.

“Wow! A quadruple flip!” Yuko gushed, still in awe that her childhood hero was skating here, on her family’s skating rink. It was like a dream.

“Mom, I’ve got this!” Loop announced, taking stills with her camera.

“I’ve got the video!” Axel called, running her camcorder.

“Can I upload this?” Lutz asked, holding her smartphone.

“It’s not for the public!” Yuri yelped, holding his hand in front of the phone as Lutz whined, “Tone it down, you… skating otaku trio!”

“Seriously?” Nishigori sighed, shaking his head at his kids.

“Oh right, Nishigori,” Yuri turned to his old rink mate, “Victor says he’d like to use this rink as our home base for now. Is that okay?”

Nishigori turned on his grin full force and slapped Yuri hard enough to make the beta wince. “Sure thing! I mean, Victor teaching you himself, it’s like a dream come true!”

“Yeah…” Yuri looked back at Victor on the ice. He looked like he was born skating, everything seemed effortless when he did it. By the time Yuri was twelve, Victor was sixteen and already number one in the world. Yuri had imitated him for years to try and catch up. How could he have been inspired, just from seeing a video of Yuri skating one of his routines?

“The little piggy can’t enter the rink until he drops some body fat!” Victor called with a wave and a smile as he sailed past his audience. Yuri wined. Was Victor really serious about making him win?

*

Talking to Minako wasn’t terribly encouraging. Minako seemed to be sure that either Victor was just trying to put another notch in his belt of being the first omega to do something skating related, or else he was just goofing off. Granted, it was what Yuri sort of assumed too, but hearing from someone else kind of hurt. Still, Minako also thought it was still a good thing for Yuri that Victor was here, and that he should take advantage and learn as much as he could for now. She was also letting him use her studio whenever he wanted so he could practice his dancing in efforts to help slim himself down.

One day, he was taking a break outside after jogging with Victor for a while. As they sat on a bench, Victor asked how Yuri met Minako, and Yuri had to think a moment before answering. “Well, Minako is a ballet instructor. Er, you know that. She used to travel the world as an alpha prima ballerina. There aren’t a lot of alpha ballerinas, but the ones that get into it tend to end up with a lot of stigma, people either saying they aren’t really fully alpha, or claiming they are just too rough and aggressive to be graceful and delicate in dance. It’s all pretty ignorant stuff, but Minako fought through it all, and won a ton of awards. When she came to Hatsetsu, she dreamed of making a studio where all genders could learn and grow together, and just be happy to dance. My sister took classes with her before me, but she ended up stopping after a few years. I really wanted to go too though, and well, I ended up spending more time in her ballet class than at home.”  


Yuri sighed. “I even started skating because Minako urged me to. She’s always cheered me on, but she likes to meddle too. She always said I was too shy, even for a beta, and kept telling to uh, well-“

Victor interrupted suddenly, “Do you have feelings for Minako?”

Yuri stared at Victor, feeling a little horror struck at the suggestion. “What? No way!”

“Because she’s an alpha?”

“Huh? What does that have to do with it?” Yuri asked, blinking in confusion.

“Do you have a girlfriend? Or boyfriend?” Victor asked.

“Oh, uh, no.”

“Any exes?”

Yuri’s face scrunched up. “Er, no comment.”

Victor looked ponderous, then grinned. “Alright, let’s talk about me! My first girlfriend was-“

“STOP! I don’t want to hear about that!”

Victor sighed deeply, looking up. His eyes widened and he pointed excitedly over Yuri’s shoulder. “Yuri, what’s that castle over there?”

Yuri turned to follow the finger. “Oh, that’s just Hatsetsu Castle. Inside is a ninja house.”

Victor gasped. “What? Really? Ninjas?” Victor scrambled to pull out his phone. “Take a picture of me, Yuri! Get the castle in the background!” He shoved his phone at Yuri, who took the photo with a mix of confusion and a little amusement at how touristy Victor was being.

Victor squealed excitedly over the picture. “Hatsetsu Castle! Hashtag, ninja! Yes!” Victor smiled as he posted the photo to Instagram. It had well over 5000 likes in about 10 minutes.

As Victor asked Yuri about other tourist things in the area, Yuri couldn’t help but think about how cute Victor was when he got this excited. It was a weird thought to have, but well, Victor was an omega after all. It might be a stereotype, but cuteness did seem to come naturally to them.

*

Later, at the Yu-topia Hot Spring Inn, Hiroko opened her front door to see a rabid hoard of reporters running right at her, carrying a very alarming array of cameras and microphones. There was another, separate hoard of skating otaku who got mixed up with the reporters and so made it seem like they were all a part of a single hoard, but the reporters would have liked to have made it very clear that they were a separate, more professional hoard, and were definitely not just running and screaming for their own personal enjoyment, but for journalism. Except for Yuki Tsukanawa, who was indeed a reporter, but was also a skating otaku, and had possibly outed Victor’s most recent location update to her skating blog before running out to get an interview. But this young beta’s actions are not really relevant to the situation beyond being the cause of it, and will not be further addressed.

“Is it true that Victor is here? Comment, please!” One reporter asked hurriedly.

“Can we share a bath with him?!” One groupie asked, perhaps a too loudly.

“Can we interview him in the bath? It will add human interest!” Yuki Tsukanawa asked, skillfully hiding the fact that the human that would be most interested would in fact be her.

As the hoard rushed inside to search for the skating idol, startling Mari quite a lot, Hiroko only found herself gushing happily about how long it had been since they’d had so many customers.

*

Meanwhile, at the Ice Castle Rink, an entirely separate hoard of reporters and skating otaku were swarming the Nishigori family.

“Victor’S here, right? Excuse me! We’d like to film a special feature!”

“I want to learn how to skate, too!”

“What the hell?” Nishigori said, gaping at the crowd with his family grouped around him and looking equally baffled at where all these people had come from.

At that moment, Victor opened the door to the rink, only to be immediately swarmed. However, being used to this sort of attention, the omega man merely laughed and smiled for the cameras, gladly taking selfies with whoever wanted one.

“Oh my god! Victor, you’re so hot for an omega! I mean, I like it, it’s just omegas are usually cute, not as hot as you!” One alpha girl chattered as she took her selfie.

“He’s really good looking, I’ll say that! Can I take a photo with you? You’re such a good skater, I mean, as an omega, it must be hard work!”

“Please let us interview you! It seems like everything you do is another positive mark on omega history. Is it your dream to pave the way for other omegas to follow in your footsteps and prove that they have full value outside of the home?”

“Victor Nikiforov! Would you please address the rumour that you are in fact pregnant with Yuri Katsuki’s child?”

Nishigori found himself holding his wife back as Yuko fumed in rage over these comments, but all Victor did was laugh, smile, and pose for photos. He then excused himself to get into the rink for his private session with Yuri. Yuko would bemoan later how unfair it was that omegas had to deal with that kind of talk constantly, even famous ones like Victor. Nishigori was just impressed at how Victor managed to get away from that mob without actually answering a single question.

But he was probably used to it.

*

A week went by, and most of the media attention died down, though skating otaku still frequented both the hot spring and the rink, hoping to catch glimpses of Victor.

Someone else hoping to catch a glimpse of Victor, but for less otaku-ish and more I-will-strangle-him-and-force-him-onto-the-next-plane-to-Russia reasons, was Yuri Pletsetsky.

“VICTOR!” Yuri yelled as he walked through the town of Hatsetsu, as though thinking merely shouting the skater’s name would get him to appear. “VICTOR WHERE ARE YOU? GET OUT HERE YOU IDIOT!”

Yuri paused in front of a Japanese statue and blinked. “Wow, creepy.” He took a photo on his phone and opened Instagram, but managed to stop just before posting it. “Crap, no! If I post this, Yakov will know I’m here!” He wisely put the phone away, so as not to give away his location for such a silly reason.

Later, in a mall, Yuri was still yelling. “VICTOR! HEY! WHERE’S VICTOR?! VICTOR!” Suddenly, Yuri saw a hoodie with a tiger on it in a shop window. “Wha- my God. That’s awesome!”

A few minutes later, Yuri had purchased the hoodie and immediately put it on, taking a super cool selfie and tagging it #awesomefashionjapan, #skatingtiger and #wheresvictor2015.

Approximately twenty seconds after uploading the photo, Yuri’s phone rang. Knowing it would be suspicious not to answer, Yuri hit the button to accept call.

 _“YURI! WHY ARE YOU IN JAPAN TOO?!”_ Yakov sounded very upset and stressed out.

“Oops, you found out?” Yuri asked, wondering why Yakov was stalking his Instagram like that. Also, maybe he shouldn’t have tagged the selfie. But the tags were so clever. Too clever. They had betrayed him.

 _“You know how important this time before your senior debut is, right?!”_ Yakov sounded ready to get into rant mode, but Yuri was not to be swayed. He had a quest, goddamn it.

“I told you! I’m not coming back to Russia until Victor makes good on his promise!”

_“What? You never told me that!”_

“Well… I’m telling you now! Bye!” Yuri hit the end call button very hard. The dial tone alone probably made the alpha’s blood pressure go up tenfold, but Yuri didn’t really give a dang.

“That geezer’s such a nag!” Yuri raged out loud, as the Japanese citizens around him hurried their children away from the crazy Russian boy. “I have my own plan, okay?” It was an excellent plan, wherein Yuri wandered around places and screamed Victor’s name. It had to work eventually, right? Damn, he was so smart. This was why he was going to win the World Championship for sure! Win, just like he always did in the Junior division…

_Back then, Yuri had always tried to do better than what was expected of him. Whether or not his coach approved mattered very little to him._

_He was also constantly doing quads when he wasn’t allowed to. One competition in particular stood out in his mind._

_Yakov was chewing him out in the kiss and cry as usual. “You idiot! I told you repeatedly that quads are off-limits because you body’s still developing! You don’t have the natural stamina of an alpha skater-“_

_“I could still present as one, there’s still time!”_

_“Yuri, you know with your body type that’s unlikely. You don’t have the natural stamina and strength of an alpha. You need to accept that you are a beta and need time for your body to grow in strength so you don’t hurt yourself with those kinds of moves! If you can’t follow orders, then quit already!”_

_At that moment, Victor appeared out of nowhere, slowly clapping his hands. “Yakov! You should praise him more. That was very impressive!”_

_“Don’t butt in! It’s none of your business!” Yakov groused, alpha pheromones leaking everywhere like a big stinky dog. Yuri wrinkled his nose at the strong smell, but Victor appeared unaffected. He instead turned his attention on Yuri._

_“I used to get scolded for doing that, too. But you know, you can win even without quads. I’d bet money on it! You can win the Junior World Championship without using a single one!”_

_“Okay!” Yuri had said with a determined gleam in his eyes, “Then, if I win without quad jumps, you have to choreograph a program just for me!”_

_“Sure!” Victor said with the same smile he gave his fans and shook Yuri’s hand warmly, “When you win the Junior World Championship, come see me. I’ll give you the best senior debut ever.”_

In Hatsetsu, Yuri had found the waterfront. Unfortunately, this was not what he had been intending to find as he had zoned out during his flashback.

“Huh? Where am I?” Yuri asked, feeling a grip of alarm at the unfamiliar surroundings. Not knowing what to do, he fell back on his totally awesome plan and screamed out at the sea. “VIIIIIIICTOOOOOR!”

An old man fishing nearby lifted his head and turned to Yuri. “Oh? Are you a fan of Victor’s? There’s a skating rink below the castle. Try there.”

Yuri blinked. Mission frikkening success.

*

At the Ice Castle Rink, the triplets were holding back a hoard of groupies that were begging to be let in to watch Victor train Yuri Katsuki.

“It’s reserved!” Axel insisted, standing with her arms out to prevent the crowd from getting by, “It’s a private practice session! Go home!” She noticed a blond boy slink by and walk straight to the front door. “Hey! You can’t go in there!”

“Huh?” The boy turned, and the triplets’ mouths dropped open in shock.

“IT’S YURI PLISETSKY?!” They screamed in unison.

“He’s the junior world champion!” Loop squealed.

“Victor’s inside, isn’t he?” Yuri asked.

“Come in, come in!” The triplets insisted, gesturing for him to do whatever he wanted because if Victor was a skating king, Yuri was a skating prince, and all skating otaku obey the will of their royalty.

At that moment the skating Joker, Yuri Katsuki, ran past the crowd and nearly slammed into the door, breathing hard. “Oh god… finally here… I’m exhausted…”

“Yuri…” The triplets gasped.

Yuri turned to the triplets and smiled. “Hey, get this! My weight’s back to what it was before the Grand Prix Final! Now I’ll finally get Victor’s permission to skate!” To Yuri’s unexpected pain, Russian Yuri saw fit in this moment to hardcore kick the other beta through the door and onto the floor. He then added insult and injury by stepping on the Japanese Yuri’s face. “Ow!”

“It’s all your fault. Apologize.” Yuri said this with as much menace as possible.

“Uh, sorry, sorry!” Yuri mumbled from the ground. His face only got stepped on harder. “Ow! That hurts! Stop!”

“The Japanese Yuri and the Russian Yuri are both here,” Axel whispered to her sisters.

“This means…” Lutz suggested softly.

“We can go ahead with THAT, right?” Loop finished and the triplets shared a sly set of smirks.

When Japanese Yuri finally got to his own feet again, he saw the Russian Yuri leaning against the wall, looking very cross indeed.

“He promised me first that he’d choreograph a program for me. What about you?” The Russian Yuri asked.

“Huh?” Japanese Yuri looked confused. “We haven’t gotten to talking about programs or anything.”

“WHAT?! You make him take a whole year off to do nothing?! Isn’t getting him as a coach enough? Phht, as if a guy who’d sob in a toilet stall at the Grand Prix Final can change at all just by getting Victor as a coach!”

In that moment, Japanese Yuri realised just how much Russian Yuri was underestimating him, and he found himself smiling. He also remembered that the other Yuri was only fifteen, and suddenly the rage became very adorable.

The smirking only served to irritate the Russian Yuri more. “Stop smirking, fatso!”

“I don’t really get the whole picture, so how about you ask Victor himself?” Yuri suggested, gesturing for the other Yuri to head out to the rink where Victor was waiting. After all, Victor came to Japan just to coach Yuri Katsuki, there was no way this little Russian punk was going to change his mind just by showing up there.

The two beta boys stood by the rink side, waiting for Victor to notice them as he skating around like the ice god he was. Russian Yuri seemed a bit surprised.

“Those moves he’s doing… they’re for the short program Victor was practicing for next season.” The Russian Yuri huffed a little, then continued to expose for the other Yuri’s sake since he looked confused by the statement. “Victor was already putting together routines for next season. But he was torn up about it. He’s all about surprising the audience. First with what an omega could accomplish, then with testing the bounds of what sort of routines an omega skater could do and still win, and then with routines that surprised the audience because they were so typical of an omega but perfected under Victor in a way no one expected from him. But now, he’s shown himself to be good at everything he does on the ice, so no one’s surprised anymore.’

‘And of course, he knows that more than anyone. If you don’t have inspiration, you’re as good as dead in this business. If he’s really going to take next season off, I wonder if he’ll let me use his program. And if he’s just coaching you to surprise people by being an omega coaching a beta, he can still do that if he just coaches me instead. I’d let him. Anyway, I know I can surprise people more than him now. But I need Victor’s help if I’m going to make my senior debut and win the Grand Prix Final.”

“Huh? Win?” The Japanese Yuri felt a tug of admiration for the confidence, but honestly, no one ever won the Grand Prix final on their first try, not even the great Victor himself.

The Russian Yuri took a deep breath. “YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’RE DOING GREAT, VICTOR!” He shouted across the ice.

Victor stopped and looked over at his audience. “Yuri, you’re here? I’m surprised Yakov let you come. What do you want?” Victor hummed as he saw Yuri’s expression darken. “Judging by that look, I’m guessing I forgot something important?”

A few minutes and a loud rant from the Russian Yuri later, Victor looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry, sorry, I totally forgot! But you knew I was the forgetful type, right?”

Yuri ran a hand down his face and sighed irritably. “Yeah, I’m PAINFULLY aware of that. But a promise is a promise! You will choreograph my new program! Let’s go back to Russia, right now!”

Victor closed his eyes, and appeared deep in thought for approximately four seconds before slamming his fist into his palm. “Okay, I’ve decided! Tomorrow, I’ll choreograph a program for both of you to the same music I’m using for my short program!”

“What?! With the same choreography?” Japanese Yuri gasped, realizing how complicated Victor’s choreography was.

“With the same music as him?! No way!” Russian Yuri protested, looking livid.

“No, no! This piece has several different arrangements. I was trying to pick one to use. So I’ll make a different program for both of you, and reveal the programs in one week! Then you’ll compete to see who can surprise the audience more!”

“Whoa! Let’s take a step back here. I don’t want to be punished for losing…”  Japanese Yuri looked warily at Victor, but Russian Yuri seemed eager for a skate-off.

“Victor will do whatever the winner says!”

Victor nearly squealed in excitement, “Ooh, I love that sort of thing!”

Moments later, the triplets appeared once again and insisted on running the event. Because of that, it was only a short time before everyone in town knew that the Hot Springs on Ice event would be premiering, and there would surely be an impressive turn out.

*

Back at the Hot Spring Inn, Russian Yuri was not terribly impressed with Victor’s room.

“Talk about a hovel. Where’s my room?” The fifteen year old asked rudely.

“You’re staying here too?” Japanese Yuri asked, wondering how much Mari was going to chew him out for having another unexpected guest.

“If you get Victor to yourself all the time, it won’t be a fair match!” Russian Yuri insisted. “So I’m going to stay here too! Got it?!”

“It’s not like you care what I think…” Japanese Yuri shook his head with a sigh. Looks like they’d have to find another room to clear out.

“The hot spring is great!” Victor said cheerfully, which for some reason just set Russian Yuri off more. He was extremely hot headed for a beta. Japanese Yuri wondered… but surely if he had presented he wouldn’t be competing in the Beta/Omega division. It wasn’t uncommon for boys in the Omega/Beta junior division to end up presenting and moving to the Alpha section for senior division, but this Yuri would be presenting awfully late at this point. Still, not entirely unheard of. His body type was all wrong, but he had time for a growth spurt. Not that all alphas were tall and muscular but most… geez, Yuri was overthinking this. It only mattered in terms of his skating division, anyway.

“I can’t take a bath with other people!” Russian Yuri snapped, getting to his feet in an absolute snit. I then confused Victor and Japanese Yuri by marching directly into Victor’s closet and slamming the door. “I’m going to sleep!”

“Uh…” Japanese Yuri stared at the closet door, unsure what to do next. Then, a loud growl was heard from the closet, and the door slammed open again. “Ah! He’s back.”

“Give me food! And a bath!” Russian Yuri demanded. Japanese Yuri let out a chuckle. This kid sure was changeable. Probably a puberty-hormonal sort of thing.

So they got the Russian Yuri a private bath time, which he did seem to enjoy, and got Hiroko to feed him a pork cutlet bowl.

“This is great!” Russian Yuri announced, as not even the power of teenage angst could fight against the pure delight caused by the perfect extra-large pork cutlet bowl.

In that moment, Mari walked into the room with an unimpressed look on her face. “You have another visitor, huh Yuri?”

“Huh?” Russian Yuri turned to looked at the omega woman, and her eyes widened rather a lot.

“WOAH! He looks just like my idol, The Blond Takao! Is he an omega, too?”

“No, no, he’s a beta,” Hiroko said with a smile, to which Mari visibly deflated a little, “And fifteen,” she deflated a little more, “His name is also Yuri.”

“Huh? That’s confusing,” Mari snorted, “Okay, you’re Yurio!” She said, pointing at the Russian Yuri.

“WHAT?!” Yurio shrieked with rage.

“Where will Yurio stay, then?” Mari asked her brother.

“Upstairs in the-“

“The storage room?” Mari gasped, “Oh no! I need to clean it up! Yuri, come help.”

Mari flew up the stairs, and Yuri got up to follow her as he knew the dire consequences of not following Mari’s orders when it had to do with the Hot Spring. As he left the room though he did pause a moment as he heard the other speak behind him.

“Good for you, Yurio!” Victor said happily.

“Shut up! That’s not my name!” Yurio snapped back.

It should be said here that, although Yuri had been doing very well at remaining confident since Yurio had arrived at the Ice Castle Rink, Yuri still suffered from rather severe anxiety and a helping of depression as well. And as much as these can be fought against, they are still mental illnesses and struck at very inconvenient times. Yuri did have ways in which to combat these issues, but they were not to be found at the Hot Spring, which is why when Yuri’s thoughts started to spiral into the direction that Yurio had far more skating potential than him and was more comfortable with Victor and should maybe be the one to be coached rather than him, Yuri knew that his only hope to avoid a panic attack was to get out of the house.

As much as his sister would normally chew him out for not helping when asked, she did catch sight of his face as he flew past her toward the front door, and realised with a sigh of disappointment that she would be left on her own and there wasn’t much to be done about it.

When she came back to the dining room sans Yuri, Victor noticed immediately and asked where he was.

Mari shook her head and folded her arms. “He left a while ago. He gets like that sometimes, always has. At a time like this, he’s probably either at Minako’s place or Ice Castle. It’s best to just give him some time, he’ll be back in a couple hours. Uh, Victor, where are you going?”

*

At Minako’s house in her basement snack bar, Victor was grilling Minako about Yuri’s whereabouts.

“Yuri’s not here,” Minako said bluntly, “By ‘my place’ she meant my ballet studio. When Yuri gets anxious, he always wants to practice. It’s how he deals with it. Probably why he’s so good at what he does. Anyway, I usually go with him. If he’s not there, the Ice Castle lets him skate anytime that’s not already booked. Really, I think the reason Yuri was able to grow up so well is because he had a place to go practice alone whenever he got anxious. I mean, he’s no genius, but he did have more free time than anyone else here to practice.”

Victor nodded along with the alpha woman’s explanation. Things were starting to come together for him. He excused himself politely.

*

Hidden from site in a viewing room with Nishigori and Yuko, Victor watched Yuri skate with a calculating expression.

“He always came here to practice by himself,” Nishigori said wistfully, “Ever since we were all kids. Long before I presented, anyway.”

“It always made me think he really loved skating,” Yuko added, “He didn’t even play with his friends. Well, he was also shy. And a lot of kids made fun of him for being so quiet and soft like an omega, even if he wasn’t one.” Yuko’s cheeks puffed out. “Kids are so ignorant!”

“Well, he wasn’t good at making friends, either. Skating aside, he’s just no good at putting himself out there.” Nishigori noted his wife’s look and coughed slightly. “Of course, I was part of the guilty ones for making fun of him, I was a real knothead as a kid, I’ll admit it. Alphas have stupid ideals and images to uphold and whatever. But all I’m saying is that, he’s really not very confident and after last season… I just really don’t want this to be the end for him.”

Yuko nodded, pacified. “Me, neither. He actually hates losing, it just crushes him. Victor, I hope you’ll bring out a side of Yuri that we’ve never seen before!”

Victor hummed and muttered more to himself than those watching with him. “So, a magic spell to change the piggy into a prince…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Thanks. I know a lot more about Yuri now.” Victor left the room with his dog bouncing along at his heels. He had some strategizing to do.

*

The next day, Yuri was at Ice Castle once again lacing up his skates. Victor would finally be revealing his musical selections and choreography, and would at last begin coaching Yuri as he had promised to do for approximately the last month of his stay. Yuri was feeling a lot better after skating for a few hours the night before, so felt rather pumped up and ready. He had to win this Hot Springs ice match against Yurio, and then aim for the Grand Prix Final! Losing was not an option this time, too much was riding on it.

Once out on the ice, Victor stood in front of the two younger skaters with a music player set up. “First, let’s have you both listen to the music. This piece comes in two arrangements with opposing themes. They are On Love: Eros and Agape. Alright then.” Victor turned on the music player and heavenly music began to drift around the rink. Yuri thought it wouldn’t have sounded out of place in a church. “What do you feel when you listen to this music? Keep in mind, the theme is ‘love’.”

Yuri, who was always sort of a nerd and maybe a bit of a teacher’s pet as well, was quick to answer. “It’s very clear and innocent, like someone who doesn’t know what love is yet. Like a child before puberty, or before presenting, or really anyone who still hasn’t felt romantically attracted to someone.”

Yurio snorted. “I don’t like it. This innocence crap makes me want to barf. I don’t want this one.”

“Okay, now for Eros,” Victor said as he switched the tracks. The music now had more of a Latin flair to it, making Yuri think of swirling skirts and high heels, of handsome strangers and colourful parties.

“It’s like a completely different song,” Yuri commented.

“Victor! I want to skate to this one!” Yurio demanded, and Yuri felt alright with that. He doubted he could pull off choreography made for a song like this and make it feel believable. He didn’t usually think too much about being a beta, but music like this felt more like it was made for the traditionally sexual and gloriously romantic alpha-omega romances that were touted about in fiction all over the world.

“The first piece is On Love: Agape. The theme is unconditional love. This piece is On Love: Eros. The theme is sexual love. I’ll have you two skate in these opposing themes. This is how I’m assigning them…” the two beta boys held their breaths, “Yuri, you’ll skate to Eros! Yurio, you’ll skate to Agape!”

Victor seemed to be addicted to surprises because that was the biggest surprise Yuri had heard in a while.

“WHAT?!” Yuri wailed, head spinning at the idea of him trying to be sexy in any capacity whatsoever.

“Switch them! That piece isn’t me at all!” Yurio raged, obviously feeling very insulted to have a piece that Yuri had associated with children. But Yuri secretly thought that it made sense, given Yurio’s age.

Victor ignored the protests. “You have to the do the opposite of what people expect! How else will you surprise them? That’s my motto!” Victor giggled, “Actually, you two betas are both far more ordinary and mediocre than you think! You need to be more self-aware. I try to be. I mean, as an omega, I know that in the beginning I just had to be good at complicated jumps to surprise people. But you both will have to try a lot harder than I did to make a mark. I’m surprised you think you can choose your own image. I mean, from the audience’s perspective, you’re just a piglet and a kitten!” Both betas looked horrified, but Victor ploughed on. “If you aren’t up to my standards by next week, I won’t choreograph either of your programs. Both of you are my fans though, so I’m sure you’ll manage to impress me!”

There was a moment of silence, which Yurio broke. “Fine. I’ll skate to Agape, if you think is best. My senior division debut depends on it! But you better make a program that lets me win! But remember, I’m not an omega!”

Victor blinked. “Well, you kind of look like one. From the audience’s perspective anyway, you could use that to your advantage. Anyway, it’s not like showing off omega charm stops you from winning, I’m proof of that, don’t you think?” Yurio let out a squawk of distress and protest, which was ignored. “Anyway, it’s up to you whether you win or not. If I skated the program, I’d win for sure.”

Yurio stared at Victor for a moment, then his gaze hardened. “If I win, Victor, you’re coming back to Russia and you’ll be my coach. That’s what I want! I don’t care than you’re an omega, you’ll be better than dumb knothead, Yakov!”

“Well, that’s kind of harsh, but sure.” Victor shrugged. “Yuri, what about you? What would you like to do if you win?”

“I…” Yuri hesitated, but then decided to be honest about the first thing that came to mind, “I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you, Victor!”

“Huh?” Victor looked surprised. Good, he liked surprises, didn’t he?

“I want to keep on winning and keep on eating pork cutlet bowls!” Yuri went on, feeling passion rise behind his words, “So I’ll skate to Eros! And I’ll give it all the eros I’ve got!” Even though he still wasn’t sure if there was any in him at all, being just a shy beta man with no romantic history, but he couldn’t think like that now.

At any rate, Victor looked pleased. “Great! That’s what I like to hear!”

Yuri really hoped he could pull this off.


	3. I Am Eros and Eros is Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hot Springs on Ice Competition Begins!

**Episode 3 – I Am Eros, and Eros is Me?**

At last, a week had passed and Victor was finally ready to reveal the routines to the two beta skaters. They, and Yuko, all waited with baited breath by the side of the rink as Victor skated into the center, preparing to show off what he had put together.

“First, I’m going to do Yurio’s ‘On Love: Agape’, okay?” Victor called across the ice. Yurio nodded back, and just like that Victor was moving. All his movements were big and sweeping, hands frequently clasped and reaching up as if in prayer. It made sense, after all, as agape referred to unconditional love. The music invoked imagery of grand cathedrals, with God’s infinite love almost palpable in the performance.

Yuri swallowed, hard. This routine looked tough. Victor could pull it off, sure, but how would Yurio handle it?

Finally, Victor ended the program with his hands again clasped and reaching for the sky. He straightened after a moment and smiled at his small audience. “Kind of like that. What do you think, Yurio?”

Yurio shrugged. “Yeah, I pretty much got it.”

“Huh?!” Yuri boggled. He already memorized the routine after just seeing it once?

Yuko couldn’t hold back anymore and starting clapping. “Wow! That was so amazing!”

“Hey, who’s that chick?” Yurio asked Yuri, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, that’s Yuko. She’s one of the staff here.” Yuri motioned to his friend. Yuko waved.

“Sorry for interrupting, but the skating was so wonderful, I couldn’t help myself!”

Yurio looked uncertain, but nodded stiffly.

“Okay, Yuri, You’re next! On Love: Eros.” Victor smirked at Yuri, and Yuri gulped and adjusted his glasses.

“O-Okay.” Yuri gave a slight nod. This was choreography Victor did for him alone. With the theme of eros. Sexual love. Oh god.

From the first position, it was clear that Victor was taking the theme to heart. Every movement sensual, every pose meant to stir… something in Yuri’s chest. Was it getting hot in there? The ice could melt with this much eros! To watch him was pleasure followed by pleasure until one just drowns in it.

Yuri felt a twitch in his pants and blushed hard, trying to make sure no one could see. Luckily, Yuko’s nose had started bleeding profusely which distracted Yurio.

“Are you okay?! That’s a lot of blood!”

“It’s so hot!” Yuko wailed, “Oh god, I can’t take it!”

Yurio blinked and looked back at Victor. “Damn, he’s enough to even make another omega swoon?”

Yuri couldn’t tear his eyes away. It was enough to make even him, a beta man pregnant! Such eros!

… holy shit, could he actually skate this? It seemed impossible.

That thought consumed Yuri, and it was a couple of moments before he realized Victor had stopped skating and was looking at him expectantly.

“Yuri! How was that?” Victor called.

“Oh, um!” Yuri fidgeted a little, then cleared his throat and stood at attention. “It was very ‘eros’!”

Yurio face palmed. Victor only smiled as he motioned for Yuri to join him on the ice. He did do.

“Right? So, about the program composition. Which quads can you land?”

The switch from an assault to his hormones to technical talk was jarring, but Yuri managed to roll with it.

“The toe loop and I can land the Salchow in practice, but never in competition.” Yuri realized how amateur that sounded and stammered out an amendment. “U-um, I think I can do it if I tried though? So um…”

Victor hummed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm well… okay, you can practice the basics. I’ll teach Yurio first, and I won’t bother teaching you anything you can’t do right now.”

“Huh? Why not?” Wasn’t Victor supposed to be teaching him?

“How many times have you messed up in competition? I know you have the skill to win. Why can’t you make it happen?”

“Well…” Yuri winced. “That’s probably because I lack, uh, confidence.”

“Right.” Victor nodded. “It’s my job to make you feel confident in yourself. Confidence isn’t just for alphas, you know.” He moved close suddenly, too close. He grabbed Yuri’s chin, tilting the beta’s head up toward his and ran his thumb over Yuri’s bother lip. They were almost nose to nose, and Yuri broke into a sweat. What was happening here?!

“No one in the whole wide world knows your true eros, Yuri,” Victor said in a low, sensual voice. Yuri felt his pants twitch again and bit back a groan. “It may be… that you have an alluring side that you yourself are unaware of. I hope you can show it to me soon.”

“HEY VICTOR!” Yurio yelled, looking mad as usual, “Aren’t you teach me first?!”

Victor’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. It was possible he might have forgotten there were still others in the room. “Right! So, Yuri. Think **_long_** and **_hard_** about what eros is to you. Alright?”

With that, Victor skated away from Yuri, and Yuri’s brain went immediately into overdrive. What was eros to him? What would that be?

*

After the practice time was over, Victor and Yurio headed out quickly enough but Yuri lagged behind in the waiting room to rest for a bit. After a few moments, his nose twitched as the scent of sweaty alpha male floated into the room. Apparently Nishigori had been using the weights in the exercise room. He looked surprised when he saw Yuri.

“Oh, sorry, I thought you would be gone already, I probably stink,” Nishigori laughed awkwardly, “I was just headed for the showers. I’d ask how practice went, but I don’t want the smell to put you off.”

“No, it doesn’t bother me,” Yuri lied a little to preserve his friend’s dignity. It bothered him, but not enough to send him out of the room. “Practice was fine. Victor gave us our programs, and then sent me to do basic training mostly while he spent time coaching Yurio on his performance.”

“Only basic training? That’s tough.” Nishigori noticed Yuri kept rubbing at his shoulders and back. “Hey, lie down. I’ll give you a massage.”

“What, you?” Yuri was surprised, Nishigori rarely gave direct orders since Yuko kept chewing him out over it. But he sounded like he just wanted to help.

“Yeah, believe it or not I’m pretty good at them. Well, my wife had triplets! Yuko’s back hurt a lot carrying those three around, so I felt it was my duty to try and help her through that as much as possible. I took a class and everything.”

Yuri smiled a little. “Well, I guess that would be okay.” Nishigori grabbed a matt and set it on the floor for Yuri to lie on, after he had pulled off his shirt. Yuri had to admit, Nishigori’s big hands were very warm and relaxing as they rubbed into his sore muscles.

“So, why didn’t Victor spend more time training you personally? Isn’t he here specifically to train you?” Nishigori asked as he worked Yuri’s lower back.

“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing but…” Yuri sighed, “Yurio and I are supposed to do programs with opposing themes. His theme is agape, unconditional love. But mine… mine is eros, s-sexual love.” Yuri groaned and put his face in his hands. “Victor told me I had to feel eros to perform eros, but I don’t know what sexual love feels like! I’ve never even had a girlfriend or boyfriend! So when he asked what eros meant to me, I had nothing to tell him. So he said he couldn’t teach me until I figured it out.”

“Really? So you had to do basic training for half a day just because you didn’t get ‘eros’?”

“Yeah.”

Nishigori snorted. “I think you took it too seriously, nerd. You should have just made something up. I bet Victor hasn’t though much about it, either.”

“Victor’s a genius, he can get away with that.” Nishigori took his hands away, and Yuri sat up and stretched. “I could see a story in the program, too.”

“A story?”

“Oh yeah,” Yuri stood up and closed his eyes, then mimicked leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "A playboy alpha comes to a certain town.” Yuri raised his arms and gestured around himself. “He bewitches omegas left and right.” Nishigori took a seat on a bench as Yuri danced around the room. “Finally, he decides to purse the most beautiful omega in town.” He held out a hand, then pulled it back. “But she isn’t swayed.” Yuri made a few more dance-like steps, climbing onto the bench across from Nishigori. “As they play the game of love, she finds it difficult to make the right choices and ends up falling for him.” Yuri hugged himself, closing his eyes again with emotion, then casting his hands away from his chest, almost as if pushing a partner off the bench and away from him. “Then he casts her aside, as though he’s tired of her, and goes off to the next town.”

Nishigori snickered and clapped. “Wow! So hot! Take me!” He said in a false high voice and barked out a proper laugh. “Yeah, that doesn’t really sound like you at all.”

“Right?!” Yuri snapped, looking very much at a loss. He grabbed at his head and shook his head in despair. “I bet people will say they’d rather see Victor skate the program. I’m just going to look like an idiot. This isn’t a program for a beta male, I can’t be sexy!”

Nishigori hummed. “Well, it’s true you don’t have the raw dominant power of an alpha such as myself,” he grinned at Yuri’s disparaging look. “And you aren’t quite as naturally cute and soft as an omega like Yuko.” Yuri winced and Nishigori ignored him and ploughed on. “But we’re us, and you’re you. I think you looked pretty sexy in the video when you copied Victor’s program, even as a beta. Maybe even because you are a beta.”

Yuri groaned loudly and hopped off the bench. “Well, I can’t just copy Victor this time! I’m never going to surpass him that way!”

“Surpass?” Nishigori blinked. “You seriously think you can be better than him someday?”

Yuri stared at Nishigori as his words sank in, and he flushed and waved his hands in dismissal. “No, no, not at all!”

Nishigori laughed. “Well, I’m not saying it’s impossible but… how can someone as inexperienced in dating as you beat the hottest bachelor in the world?”

“I-I don’t know.”

Nishigori studied Yuri for a second before standing abruptly. “Well, I’m going to take that shower. But Yuri… if you need any help getting ready for the competition, I’ll do whatever I can. If anyone can help you find eros, I bet I can do it!”

Yuri gave a shaky smile as his friend left, but rather doubted Nishigori would be able to teach him how to be a sexy playboy. Even with his, uh, “raw dominant power”. Phht, as if Yuko didn’t have his knot tied in ribbons. The beta laughed as he picked himself up and headed for home.

*

The next day, Victor was having Yurio run through the routine again, but seemed agitated even as Yurio completed each movement he was shown without error. “Stop, stop! Something isn’t right.”

Yurio stopped, but looked frustrated. He had done this over and over, he was flawless! He growled. “I’m doing it like you showed me, aren’t I?”

“The way you currently are, your greed is too obvious.” Yurio rolled his eyes as Victor kept speaking. “There’s absolutely no sense of unconditional love in your performance. Do you think the audience won’t notice that? It’s good to have confidence, and you have a ton of it, but this program isn’t where you should be showing it off.”

Yurio looked livid. “Seriously?! You’re the one who’s skated with complete confidence this whole time! What the hell do you want from me? What’s agape to you, then, Victor?!”

Victor smiled gently, and it only incised Yurio more. “It’s a feeling, of course, so I could never explain it in words. Do you both thinking about that when you skate? That’s funny. You’re funny, Yurio.” Victor laughed and Yurio gaped at him, not even sure where to go with that. “Well, maybe we need a temple.”

Yurio looked dumbfounded. “A-a temple?”

*

Yurio had no idea that part of being at a Japanese temple involved getting hit hard with a piece of wood by a monk, but after about an hour of it, he was more than happy to sink into the hot spring, even with that idiot Yuri Katsuki.

Luckily, Yuri seemed to be deep in his own thoughts and not trying to talk to Yurio. That was good, because the fifteen year old beta boy had absolutely no intention of holding a conversation while naked. No way in hell. It was awkward enough bathing next to him, even though he couldn’t see anything! It didn’t matter they were both betas, it was just weird! Imagine if an alpha or omega walked in…

Yurio’s thoughts rocked to a grinding halt as Victor took this moment to appear in all his sculpted naked glory, strutting as though he owned the place and standing by the side of the hot spring with his dumb little omega cock hanging within a meter of Yurio’s head.

Dear god.

“Hey! Yuri, take a photo of me in the bath so I can post it online!” Victor said with a grin. Yurio gagged. Just what was with this guy?! Honestly, Victor had always been weird, but it was like this Japanese Yuri was bringing out a whole even WEIRDER side of him! What was their relationship anyway?! This wasn’t how a coach was supposed to act!

At least Yuri seemed just as alarmed. “Uh, s-sorry Victor but we really don’t let people take photos in the bath.”

“Really?” Victor looked shocked. Yurio tsked. Obviously you couldn’t take naked pictures in the bath! What kind of place did Victor think this was? Well… it WAS Japan… didn’t they have weird machines you could buy used omega underwear from or something? Yurio was sure he heard a rumour about that. But well, obviously this place wasn’t shady like that!

“Aw well,” Victor sighed, setting aside his phone and towel and sinking right into the bath between the two betas and letting out a long relieved groan. “Nothing like a hot bath after a day of rigorous training, am I right?”

There was slightly for a moment before Yuri made a tiny noise of affirmation. A cloud of awkward settled over the three of them, and Victor appeared utterly confused as to why that might be.

“Too tired to talk, huh?” Victor guessed, looking from Yuri to Yurio and back again. “Well, I guess, as a coach, I should take this chance to help you work through your head spaces for your routines. So Yuri,”  Victor saw Yuri had sank down to his nose in the water and seemed even more confused. Then he shrugged. “So, Yurio,” Victor got significantly closer to Yurio and received a face full of water splashed in his face for his trouble. Victor blinked owlishly.

“You moron! I’m not talking to you about skating while naked in a bath with you!”

“Really?” Victor blinked again. “But Kristoff and I talk about skating while naked in the bath all the time at competitions.”

“That’s different!” Yurio snapped.

“Why?” Victor asked, looking honestly clueless.

“BECAUSE YOU’RE BOTH OMEGAS!” Yurio screamed loud enough that probably every guest at the hot springs could hear. Yuri looked like he was going to die from embarrassment. But he did manage to see Victor’s face become carefully blank.

“Oh? Alright, I won’t talk to you in the bath then, if it bothers you so much.” Victor turned his head and looked at Yuri’s red face. “Does it bother you, too? Talking to an omega in the bath?”

Suddenly, it occurred to Yuri that if he did say it bothered him, he may actually hurt Victor’s feelings. He certainly hadn’t seen Victor make a face like this before. He didn’t care for it much.

Besides… he really didn’t mind about that. He pulled himself up in the bath and smiled, genuinely at Victor and shook his head. “No. It doesn’t bother me. I mean, at Yu-topia, all genders bath together, and talking is common.” Victor’s eyes widened. “That said, I am pretty tired, and I think a break from skating talk might do us all some good.”

Victor’s trademark smile was sneaking its way back onto his face. “So can we talk about other things then?”

“Of course!” Yuri said, relaxing again.

“Perfect! We can strengthen our relationship, then! So, are you a boxers or briefs guy?”

“What?!”

“I prefer briefs, but I mean we don’t get much of a choice in our skating costumes, do we?” Victor hummed, and suddenly he was up in Yuri’s personal space again, running a finger in figure eights along his arm.

“U-uh…”

“OH MY GOD, I’M UNDERAGE FOR FUCK’S SAKE, DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?!” Yurio screeched, and Yuri made a big splash as he fled across the spring from Victor.

“Oh, right, I forgot!” Victor said suddenly, now at last looking a little ashamed, “Sorry, sometimes I forget how much older than you I am! This must be kind of weird for you, huh?”

“YOU THINK?!”

*

The rest of the bath was a bit less awkward. Once all muscles were sufficiently relaxed, the three trooped inside to towel off and get ready for supper.

Victor and Yurio both had pork cutlet bowls set in front of them, but Yuri had meat and vegetables as per the unfortunate agreement he made not to eat a bowl until he had won a competition.

Despite telling Victor he needed a break from talking about skating, it still ran round and round in his head like a carousel. It was no good. From a physical standpoint, he wasn’t even close to eros. He wasn’t made for romance. He wasn’t a sexy alpha or cute omega. Not to mention he’d never had a romantic partner before. He wasn’t a huge fan of romance movies or books. He was just… probably the least qualified person on earth to be thinking about eros.

Still, he couldn’t let Victor down. He had to think of something. What did he know about eros? Eros… eros… in the story told by Victor’s choreography, eros made it hard for the omega to make the right decisions. What makes it hard for me to make normal decisions…

He eyed the dinners of his dining companions, and it hit him hard.

“I get it now!” Yuri said a bit too loudly, slamming his hands on the table. Yurio and Victor looked at him with mouths full. “Pork cutlet bowls! That’s what eros is to me!” The other two skaters stared at Yuri in silence. Yuri suddenly realised exactly what he said and felt a huge wave of embarrassment. He looked away to hide his face and fidgeted. “S-sorry, I know, it’s not…”

Victor managed to swallow his mouthful and coughed slightly before forcing a smile. “Hey, that’s okay, let’s go with that. It’s nice and unique!”

Yurio forced his mouthful down at well and looked incredulously at Victor. “Seriously?”

Yuri buried his face in his hands now. They both probably thought he was so immature!

*

In the next few days, Victor worked with both betas on their routines. He would encourage Yuri to think of all the gooey, wonderful components of a pork cutlet bowl, and slowly but surely his technique improved. Yurio, unfortunately, was lacking a similar break through. No matter how many times Yurio was sent to the temple, he just was not getting the hang of agape, and Victor was insistent that if he didn’t find it his routine would fail. That said, even as he improved, Yuri still fell on his ass a lot during the jumps, so it was still hard to say who was honestly doing better.

Finally, as the temple was doing no good and Yurio had no room to improve until he found his sense of agape, Victor finally suggested that Yurio try standing under a waterfall. Yurio did not seem convinced it would help, but Victor was so adamant that he even made Yuri stand under the waterfall with him, as it ‘couldn’t hurt anyway’.

Victor stuck around for about five minutes before wandering off. Though, as both of the betas mainly kept their eyes shut while under the harsh spray of the water, it took them a while to notice.

“I’m going to kill him,” Yurio muttered, “Who cares about agape? It’s stupid.”

As much as Yurio insisted that, though, standing under a waterfall for a long period of time will eventually cause one’s mind to wander. And Yurio’s fled back to a time long long ago…

_It had been snowing, one of those perfect snows that seem even more perfect in the light of nostalgia. He had to have been seven or eight, and his big strong alpha grandpa was walking him home from skating practice._

_“Yuratchka, you were the best of the bunch,” his grandpa said with an indulgent smile, which Yurio had responded to with the widest grin his little face had been capable of._

_“Grandpa, can you come to practice again tomorrow? I can skate even better! I’m fine, even if Mom’s not there!” Yurio said happily. His beta mother had never been around, always on model photo shoots and the like. But his grandpa… he’d always been there. He never let Yurio down, never once. No matter what Yurio did or said… that was it._

“Yurio? Hey, Yurio!” Yurio felt his arm grabbed and he was pulled out of the spray.

“H-huh?” Yurio’s eyes fluttered open and he looked a bit dazed as he looked at Yuri.

“Are you olay? Let’s call it a day, alright?”

“Oh… okay.” Yurio sneezed. “Ugh… Where’s Victor, anyway?”

“He went to eat at Nagahama Ramen, I guess.”

“WHAT?! We’re going there, too!” Yurio jumped to full attention and grabbed Yuri’s wrist to start pulling him down the path back to town.

*

They did come to find Victor in the restaurant, but both betas ended up going home before Victor who seemed determined to drink forever. The next morning, they were both were at the rink before Victor for the first time since he started coaching.

“Victor still isn’t here, huh?” Yuri asked.

“They said he was drinking until dawn. Dumbass.” Yurio shook his head. Yuri looked at Yurio and thought back on all their practice sessions to this point. Yurio was only fifteen, but all of his jumps were so perfect. If Yuri could just ask his help… but would he even help? There was no way… he’d say no for sure. Why would he help his competitor? Yes, Yuri would ask and it would be a no and that would be that.

“Um, Yurio…”

“What?” the Russian asked rudely. Yuri swallowed, then clasped his hands in front of him to plead. “Please teach me how to land a quad Salchow!”

Yurio looked at Yuri blankly for a moment, then shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

A while later, Yurio was watching Yuri fall on his face for the fifth time in the row. “Tsk, you suck! Hey, pork cutlet bowl, watch me do it one more time.”

As Yuri got to his feet, Victor finally showed up, throwing the door open and running his hand through his fetchingly tussled hair. “Hey! Sorry I’m late!” He looked at the two betas standing beside each other on the ice. “Huh? What were you practicing just now?”

Both betas suddenly turned very red in the face and abruptly skated away from each other with mumbles about checking their choreography. Victor tilted his hair in confusion, but shrugged it off and told Yurio to run through his routine while Victor and Yuri watched.

Yuri noticed right away that there was something more to Yurio’s performance this time. It was hard to describe, but somehow it just flowed better. His face seemed calmer, his entire body followed every move of his feet.

“Looks like Yurio found his agape. Maybe he’s ready for the next stage.”

Yuri glanced at Victor from the corner of his eyes. The next stage, huh? Did that mean that Yuri had a next stage too, once he performs the eros of the pork cutlet bowl? He still couldn’t seem to find it, though. He still lacked what would serve as the backbone of the program. He needed another break through if he was going to win.

*

Later at the inn, Victor announced that he had had all of the costumes he had ever worn in competition sent to Hatsetsu for Yuri and Yurio to look at. They needed costumes for their competition after all, and Yurio didn’t bring any with him from Russia at all.

The pile of clothes was towering, but the two betas were still slowly going through them. Yuri was significantly more enthusiastic than Yurio, exclaiming ‘wow!’ and ‘amazing!’ as he recognised just about every single costume he saw from years of being an obsessive Victor Nikiforov fanboy. Victor seemed pleased as he watched the excitement.

Yurio was less enthused. “There are lots of stupid looking ones.”

“Hey Victor! You wore this one at the Grand Prix Final last year!”

“Hey! Don’t pick anything flashier than mine!” Yurio snapped.

“This is from the Junior World Championship!” Yuri said excitedly, holding up a black leotard bedazzled with sequins and large, jewel-like pieces on one shoulder. Small spikes rose from the shoulders as well.

Victor perked up. “Oh yes, that’s one of my favourites! That was back when there was a rumour going around that I was secretly a beta, or even an alpha, since I was skating circles around the competition in my circuit, that I was a secret transgender skater or something. I wasn’t but… anyway, I grew out my hair and had this costume made to suggest all genders at once. Graceful like an omega, sharp spikes like a prickly, powerful alpha, jewels for a beta woman, but sharp and shining like a beta man!”

Yuri looked at the costume for a second, then smiled brightly. “I choose this one!” He knew just what to do now.

That night at an ungodly hour, Minako answered the frantic buzzing of her doorbell looking ready to commit a murder. “Oh come on! Who is it? Yuri? Do you really want to practice at my studio this late at night?”

“Minako! I need to you teach me something!”

“Huh?”

“I need you to teach me how to move like an omega woman!”

Minako stared at Yuri. “You uh, you know I’m an alpha, right?”

Yuri whined slightly. “But you’ve always taught all genders how to dance! Plus ballet has a lot of omegas in it, you have to know how they move!”

“Well yeah,” Minako scratched her head, “But I don’t know why you want to move like one.”

“It’s for the competition, eros, the story.”

“What? Look, come in and explain this to me.”

“The program Victor wants me to skate, the story in it is of an omega woman and an alpha man. Victor can play either of them, any of them. Victor can play any gender he wants and it works because he’s an amazing actor!” Yuri’s eyes widened as he realized how true that was. He swallowed. “Well, I’m a beta man. I’m nowhere near either of those roles. But neither is Victor, and he played the role of an alpha man perfectly! Well, trying to be the playboy isn’t me. Maybe if I trained for months or years I could approximate it, but for this story… it doesn’t feel right. Instead, I want to be the most beautiful omega woman in town, who seduces the playboy!”

“O…kay.” Minako nodded, looking thoughtful. “Well, let’s go to the studio then.”

Yuri smiled. He wouldn’t drastically change any moves, but to be the omega was a lot closer to how he felt. He could do this, with Minako’s help. He knew he could.

*

At last, the day of the Hot Springs on Ice competition arrived. Yuri and Yurio stood by the rink side giving interviews. As usual, Yurio was much more confident and vaguely threatening than Yuri, and Yuri kept trying to push the attention off of himself. And Victor was… Victor. It was as much as you could expect from any of them. Meanwhile, Yuko got hold of the speaker system to thank the audience for coming and to talk a bit about the program they were about to see. From the audience, Minako reflect how amazing it was to see the rink this full after so many years.

About twenty minutes later, in the green room, Yuko stuck her head in to tell Yurio it was almost time for his performance.

“Okay,” Yurio said, standing to reveal his outfit. It was white and partially translucent, covered in sequins, and how giant jewel-like shoulders that sort of reminded Yuri of the inside of a geode.

Yuko screamed when she saw him. “It’s the see-through costume of legend from Victor’s junior days! I never thought I’d see it in person! It’s so beautiful!”

Yurio looked mildly disturbed as blood gushed from Yuko’s nose. “You’re gushing all kinds of fluids again.”

“You look really good in it! Good luck!”

“O-okay?”

“Alright! You have to go! Come on, get a move on!” Yurio let out incoherent noises as Yuko physically pushed him out the door and toward the arena. Yuri followed them out, since he wanted to see the performance as well.

The announcer’s voice rang across the stadium as Yurio took his place in the center of the ice. “Now, a champion with wins in the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Junior World Championship. Hoping for a brilliant senior division debut, with a short program choreographed by the famed omega Victor Nikiforov himself, Yuri Plisetsky! He will be skating to On Love: Agape.” The music began, and Yurio began to move. He nailed his first jump and the audience applauded. Everyone’s eyes were drawn to him.

From what Yuri could tell, this performance was completely different than what he saw in practice. Not only did he complete every single jump with a flourish, every moment from beginning to end was smooth and graceful.

That said, Victor seemed to have reservations in his eyes as he watched. Maybe it was something in Yurio’s face. From what Yuri could see, that was the only thing that was flawed. His face looked stressed.

The performance ended with a combination spin, and Yurio’s face shone with perspiration. The announcer called it a masterful performance, but Yurio… didn’t seem to think so from the look on his face.

Victor smiled though, and waved as he shouted. “Yurio! That was the best performance I’ve seen from you so far! Go on, greet the audience!”

Yurio seemed startled out of whatever internal monologue he was on and raised his arm to greet the cheering crowd. Yuri could only think of how amazing Yurio really was. He’d definitely rank among the top senior division skaters. Oh, but if he lost this, Victor would go back to Russia. He didn’t want that. He had to win. He wanted to win.

“Yuri, it’s your turn.” Yuri looked at Victor with wide eyes and suddenly he felt a grip of panic wracking his body. He covered his mouth and felt his shoulders shake but, no… no, he had to win this. He couldn’t think this way, not now. He managed to lock eyes with Victor. Victor who believed he could do this. Victor that travelled thousands of miles, just to be his coach.

“U-uh I’m…” Yuri pulled his hand from his mouth and managed to stand at attention using ever ounce of will in his body. “I’m going to become a super tasty pork cutlet bowl, so please watch me!” Then, on impulse, he threw his arms around Victor’s neck and drew him into a hug. He smelt good. Soothing. “Promise?”

Victor seemed surprised, but hugged back all the same. “Of course. I love pork cutlet bowls.”

A couple of minutes later, Yuri was in the middle of the rink now, and the announcer’s voice blared again. “We’re pleased to introduce a skater who represents Japan, a late bloomer who’s become a rising star, Katsuki Yuri! He will skate to On Love: Eros. He’s been having difficulty expressing eros, but he has said that he’ll think of how he loves to eat his favourite dish, the pork cutlet bowl.”

As Yuri began to move from his starting position, he thought back to the all-nighter that he had spent at the ballet studio the night before. The announcer said he was thinking of the pork cutlet bowl, but Yuri knew who he was really dancing for.

He made eye contact with Victor and smirked.

Victor whistled.

Then Yuri was off. His step sequence was seductive. His spin was flawless. He knew the first half off by heart and knew he could do it easily. He had scheduled all his jumps for the second half, since he knew he had the stamina for it… still, it was a tough program. First jump was the quadruple Salchow… which he flubbed. He stepped out of it, and put a hand down to stay on his feet.

But he couldn’t panic! One mistake like that isn’t enough to make him lose his charms. He’s better than another other omega woman out there. And why? Because he knew it was true.

He made the quad toe loop and triple toe loop combination. The last jumps. Now just a spin and-

The crowd was cheering, screaming ‘welcome back Yuri’ as loud as possible.

In the stand, Nishigori smiled and said, “It’s not welcome back. That was a Yuri we’ve never seen before. No one could look away from him. I’m looking forward to next season.”

Victor was waiting by the rink side and pulled Yuri into a tight hug as he stumbled off the ice. “Yuri! That was the tastiest pork cutlet bowl I’ve ever seen! Wonderful!”

“Th-thank you.”

“But can I say something?”

“Sure?”

“What was with your tripel axel out of the spread eagle? That was the worst attempt so far.” Yuri’s mouth dropped open as Victor started lecturing. “I know you had Yurio teach you the quad Salchow in secret, but what was that? Huh? Yuri? Uh… Yuri?” Yuri appeared to have reached a catatonic state.

There was a party at the inn that night, but when Yuri asked around to find out where Yurio had gone, Yuko told him he’d already left to go back to Russia. Yuri felt a bit sad at that, he never even got to thank him for his helped. He vowed to do so when he saw him at the Grand Prix Final in Moscow.

Halfway through the party, Yuri went upstairs to grab more plates from the storage room at his mother’s request. He opened the storage room door and let out a yelp.

“M-MARI?!”

“OH MY GOD, CLOSE THE DOOR, YURI! Don’t you knock?”

“On a storage room door?”

“Oh, hi Yuri!”

“Is… is that Sakura from the bakery?”

“YES okay?!”

“… I didn’t know you liked other omegas, Mari. You know mom and dad wouldn’t mind if you told them.”

Mari’s eyes narrowed as she held the shirt she had grabbed over her breasts. “Yuri, is this really the conversation you want to have when I’m naked on the floor with my girlfriend?”

Yuri quickly left, wondering why oh why Mari wouldn’t have just used her own bedroom. It was just down the hall. And where would he get more plates, now?


	4. Like Yourself and Complete the Free Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri's short program is settled, but his free program doesn't even have music yet! What will he and Victor come up with? Meanwhile in Russia, Yurio gains a new instructor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so, this has had regularish updates so far I've noticed. That's surprising from me. May this unending chain of surprises continue until I actually finish a fanfic for a change. 
> 
> So this one has some more extended scenes since those are going over well. More fictional sjw stuff. Can I just say I think I'm focusing a lot on betas and I think that's a good thing because really, they get very little attention in omegaverse fics despite usually making up most of the population in them. I'm giving them some due here. Also, I'm enjoying just kind of doing a bunch of omegaverse world building without feeling the pressure of making it all plot relevant. It's nice. Relaxing even.
> 
> Anyway enjoy this I if you like this sort of thing. I spent pretty much my whole day off today writing it.

**Episode 4: Like Yourself and Complete the Free Program**

The day after the party, Yuri woke slowly in his bedroom to morning light and the sound of birds singing. Bleary-eyed, Yuri fumbled for his phone and squinted at the time. Oh, it was 8:40am.

8:40am.

OH GOD HE WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET VICTOR AT THE RINK FORTY MINUTES AGO!!!

In a whirlwind, Yuri leapt out of bed, making Maccachin bark and roll over from his place at his feet. Why Victor’s dog had taken up sleeping with Yuri instead of his master was anybody’s guess. Yuri somehow managed to get his clothes on in five minutes and took off at a run out of the house. He was lucky that he’d been jogging every morning for the past several weeks or else he probably would be too out of breath to apologize when he finally got to the rink a full hour later than he meant to.

He flung open the rink doors, red in the face and panting as he saw Victor standing in the center of the rink with his back to him. Even the tall omega’s stance told Yuri that he was mad… well, he had every right to be mad, Yuri bemoaned how irresponsible he was. “I’m sorry Victor!” Yuri wailed, “I overslept! I-um…”

Victor turned slowly, and Yuri held his breath for the yelling that was sure to ensue… yet never came. In fact, Victor smiled and gave a wave. Maybe he had been late, too?

“Good morning, Yuri! Only Aeroflot has kept me waiting as long as you have.” Oh no. That was passive aggression. An omega’s most deadly attack! Yuri hurried onto the ice and fell to his knees to grovel for forgiveness. Victor looked interested in this display of submissiveness.

“Huh, I’m not really mad you know. Resting is a part of work too, plus after a party I know it can be tough to wake up on time.” Victor knelt in front of Yuri and put a hand in his hair. “Okay?”

Yuri looked up into Victor’s eyes and felt a bit strange as he realized this would be a weird situation for someone to walk in on, a beta on his knees in front of an omega, with a hand in his hair and…

Yuri suddenly blushed extremely hard and ducked his head further. “Uh, if you’re not mad c-can we start the practice now?”

Yuri felt Victor’s hand slowly leave his hair and he glanced up again to see the omega get to his feet with a strange look on his face.

“Oh? Yes, we can get started.” Victor offered a hand and helped Yuri to his feet. The two started to go through some warm up movements together, though when Yuri tried a jump he was still anxious from earlier and managed to fall flat on his face.

“Ow…”

Victor skated over next to Yuri as the beta turned over and rubbed at the red mark on his nose. “Yuri, I’ve noticed that you flub your jumps when something’s on your mind. What is it?”

Yuri looked up at Victor again and scrambled back to his feet. “I-it uh, it’s nothing! Just uh, thinking about…. How I missed breakfast! Yep, I’m just hungry!”

“Oh,” Victor blinked, “Well, you’re not going to get much done on an empty stomach. Wait here, I’ll get some protein bars from the vending machine!” Victor skated away and Yuri breathed a sigh of relief. Crisis averted. But in the moments alone leading to when Victor returned, Yuri found himself skating off his panic as he replayed having Victor’s hand in his hair and how very _right_ it had felt.

This wasn’t going to help his skating at all, as far as Yuri could tell.

*

That rest of the practice went about the same as the first bit, even after eating that protein bar. So eventually Victor decided to call it a day a bit early and encourage Yuri to unwind a little that afternoon. With Victor then vanishing off to who knows where, Yuri decided to take walk and maybe grab a snack at the local bakery.

Ayes Bakery had been down the street from the Yu-topia Inn for as long as Yuri could remember. They had kids his sister’s age whom she had been friends with (one being her girlfriend now, evidentially) but Yuri hadn’t really spent much time with them. Still, he couldn’t deny that they had some of the sweetest pastries he had ever tasted and… surely he still deserved a little extra reward for his victory against Yurio?

The bell above the door tinkled as Yuri pushed open the door. He flushed a little to find Sakura behind the counter, long brown hair in twin braids and her big eyes widening when she saw him. How nice it was to see her with clothes on. Yuri cleared his throat slightly and both the omega and himself looked very awkward.

“I-uh, didn’t get a chance to properly apologize,” Yuri said finally, “I should have, uh… shouldn’t have…”

“It’s okay,” Sakura said quickly, waving her hands, “Let’s just not worry about it? I mean, we probably should have picked a better spot. We thought if someone caught us both leaving her bedroom they’d figure it out…”

“No, no it’s… honestly…” Yuri trailed off and looked away for a second. “Uh, I’m uh, can I get a pastry?”

“Oh, yes!” Sakura said with a fierce nod, “I recommend these here, they’re cream filled and have little dog faces on them! I made them myself this morning!”

“Great, I’ll take one.” Without warning, Yuri’s mind flashed to Victor. “Uh, make that two. For a- for my coach.”

“Oh, Nikiforov?” Sakura said, sounding interested as she bagged the pastries. “Mari tells me that you two are getting closer.”

“Huh?” Yuri felt colour tinge his cheeks, “W-what is that supposed to mean?”

Sakura hummed a little. “Well, I mean, it could just mean you’re becoming friends.”

“Friends… with Victor?” Yuri stared off into space for a second as he turned the thought over in his mind. Then he shook his head. “No… not that he wouldn’t want to I’m sure but, I still find myself thinking of Victor more as an idol than a person. Until I’m able to get over that feeling, I don’t think I could have him be anything other than my coach. It’s hard enough for me to think of him as that, even.”

 “Well, that sounds tough,” Sakura said as she rang up the order and Yuri dug for his change. “But I’m sure you’ll work it out eventually.”

“Heh, yeah.” Yuri took the bag and then hesitated. “So, uh, you and my sister…”

“Yes?” Sakura said hurriedly, but in a hushed voice and glancing around the empty shop, “And uh, quietly, please? My parents don’t know and it would be… bad if they found out.”

“Oh, really?” Yuri looked surprised, but he supposed that while there had been a lot of leaps forward for same-gender relationships, there were still those who viewed them badly. Especially relationships with two omegas. “Well… how long have you two been, uh…”

“About eight months now,” Sakura said with a soft smile, “But we’ve sort of been dancing around it for a long time.”

“You know, even if your parents aren’t supportive, I know mine-“

“No, no, I know Toshiya and Hiroko would support us. But I’m really nervous about telling my parents, and I’m afraid that your parents might uh…”

“Tell the wrong person?”

“Yes.”

Yuri sighed. “Yeah, they might do that… well, so you know, I support you both.”

“I know.” Sakura smiled, then her smile turned a little devious. “And when we hear the happy announcement about you and Victor, we’ll support you right back!”

“W-WHAT?!” Yuri shrieked, “I-I, you’ve got it all wrong! Victor wouldn’t want me! I-I’m well… he could have anyone! Any alpha-“

“Hey, I’m an omega, and I don’t want an alpha. Maybe he’s into betas.”

“No, no! I mean, even then, there’s… there’s better betas than me…”

Sakura shook her head. “Well, I’m sure you’ll work it out, like I said. Anyway, I’ve got some work to do so, tell Victor I said hi and um, tell Mari I’ll see her later tonight?”

“Uuuuh, yes! Sure, absolutely!” Yuri gave a valiant attempt at a grin, though it looked very awkward coming from him, and headed out the door and back to the Inn.

*

Victor had been unbelievably thrilled to receive the dog pastry from Yuri and enjoyed it with gusto, as he had pretty much any other food he’d had since coming to Japan. However, soon after Victor gained a thoughtful expression and went into his room for several hours. Yuri was left sitting in the living room with Minako watching an American soap opera that he had become a fan of through Phichit’s obsession. Minako was asking a lot of questions, but seemed to be enjoying it none the less.

“So, Elora left Michael because Michael was cheating on her with James, so his parents are angry?” Minako asked as the character ‘Michael’ was getting chewed out onscreen.

“Well, it’s not just because he cheated on her, but because Elora being an alpha and James a beta, they see it as ‘trading down’.” Yuri explained, eating pieces of dried seaweed as a snack before dinner.

“Well, Michael’s an alpha too though? It’s not like he left an omega mate for a beta. So shouldn’t it be the same to them?”

“Not in America. They value Alpha male/Alpha female more than Alpha male/Beta male.”

“Huh? Why? I always thought those were both seen the same? Like, you know, the bracket of ‘not ideal but still acceptable’?”

Yuri thought back to all the culture shock he experienced when he first went to Detroit to train. He had known, intellectually, that different cultures saw different kinds of relationships well, differently. But it was another thing to experience that first hand, in media and advertising and everything else. Phichit helped a lot to explain things, since he was a sociology major on top of his skating.

“Something about ‘power couples’ or whatever, Phichit seemed to get it more than me. Plus in America, they see beta males as closer to alphas than they do in most places, so they see it as more, uh, ‘eccentric’? Like, they’d consider it more on par with how a Beta male/omega male relationship is seen in Japan and most other places.”

“That’s so weird! But you know, I’ve always been confused about how much people tend to bend the beta gender toward alpha or omega?” Minako looked a touch annoyed as she took a swallow from her sake bottle. “I mean, it’s always ‘betas are more like alphas!’ ‘betas are more like omegas!’ ‘beta men are like alphas and beta women are like omegas!’ Even in individual betas, they tend to mock them about if they’re ‘too omega like!’ or praise them for being ‘very alpha-like!’ Didn’t that ever get tiring for you?”

Yuri was surprised by the question, but thought back to all the days he’d been mocked for his weak will and gentle nature. “Well… I guess it could be a bit hurtful but… mostly I got that treatment from other betas. I never knew too many alphas, most of the ones I knew tended to uh… well I mean when we were younger Nishigori made fun but after he presented he-”

“Protected you? Heh, that’s alpha instinct for you, protecting the ‘weak’ omegas!” Minako snorted, then let out a loud wail. “Aaaaaaw, now I’m doing it again! Eh, it’s easy to fall into.”

“Yeah, it is,” Yuri thought for a second. “Even I do it, now that I think of it. I mean, when I first met Yurio, I would wonder if he was actually an alpha, since he was so aggressive.”

Minako blinked. “Do you think I’m aggressive?”

“Well uh… kind of? I-In sort of a, um, determined way?”

“I guess…” Minako stared into the table for a moment, taking another drink, the show forgotten. “I think it’s all stereotypes, you know?”

“Stereotypes?”

“Omegas are dainty. Weak. Sweet. Cute. Submissive. Innocent.” She gave a disbelieving laugh. “Alphas are strong. Protective. Aggressive. Fierce. Dominant. Dangerous.” Minako shuddered a little and hiccoughed. “And betas are… what?”

Yuri looked at Minako slowly and said with deliberation. “Betas are supportive. Hard working. Co-operative. Nurturing. Welcoming. Accepting.”

“Are those true?”

“No.” Yuri spoke without hesitation.

“Most people know a lot of betas. Heck, most people ARE betas.” Minako sighed. “Well, half the population of the world, but places like Japan and America there’s more betas for some reason. I don’t know why. But people know that most betas don’t match the stereotypes, so there’s more room to say ‘you’re alpha-like’ or ‘you’re omega-like’. But alphas and omegas… people know less of them, and our outward traits are easier to see, even smell.” Minako wrinkled her reddening nose. “We can’t get away from the stereotypes. Even if I dance sweetly and smile in a cute way, people only will see an alpha. I’m kind of jealous that you can be seen as anything, really.”

Yuri bit his lip. He remembered Victor. Victor could dance as anyone. Yuri was sure that Minako could too. But she was getting steadily more hammered in the mid-afternoon, and it might not be the best time to tell her so. “I’m sorry Minako.”

“Don’t be sorry, just… just go win gold at the World Championships and show people omegas are good coaches alright? If omegas can do anything, maybe alphas can too.”

*

Victor reappeared at dinner and suggested they take a bath after, to which Yuri had to agree (his mom said it was a great idea and Yuri had no heart to disagree with her). They left to change and it happened that Yuri got into the bath first, relaxing against the side of the tub with his back to the door, eyes closed as the warm water gentle enveloped him.

He heard the door to the backyard open and shut, so he assumed that Victor had come out. He listened to bare feet walk around a little before he heard Victor’s voice.

“Yuri, maybe we should nix having three quads in your free program.”

Yuri turned in surprise, “But if- eek!” Yuri turned back around after seeing Victor doing a perfect split and stretching behind him, naked and facing him as usual (was this an omega thing? A Russian thing? Why did he do this?!). “If I want to win the Grand Prix Final, I need the quads, though.”

“Why?” Victor asked from behind Yuri, “Even if there’s only one quad, just get a perfect score on the program components!”

Yuri winced. It was true that when he skated he tended to lose a lot of technical points by missing jumps, and would close the gap with a high presentation score. But it wasn’t good enough, he had to change. He needed to learn to get the jumps right or else he would just fail. Like last year. Urgh, last year… Yuri’s head fell forward slightly and his eyes unfocused, remembering his dismal failure. Victor’s voice jolted him back, however.

“Yuri, do you know why I decided to become your coach?” Yuri turned to see Victor MUCH closer than before, kneeling beside the spring beside him. He reached down, slowly, and took Yuri’s hands in his, pulling his torso from the water. Victor’s face was so near now, he could count the lines on his irises.

“I was drawn to you because of the way you skate like your body is creating music. What I want is to create a high-difficulty program to maximize that. Only I can do it.” Victor’s eye contact was getting intense, and Yuri felt sweat bead along his forehead unrelated to the temperature of the spring. “That’s the gut feeling I had watching you.” Abruptly, Yuri was pulled straight out of the water. Victor was strong!! Well, Yuri knew that but… still! They stood at the pool-side now, both fully naked and facing each other. “And the short program validated it!”

Yuri was going to say something, but whatever it was fled his mind as Victor bent and grabbed Yuri’s ankle, hoisting up his leg and contorting it behind him much higher than he would have liked as Victor got in behind him as well, holding his leg in one hand and touching Yuri’s chin gently with the other. Close! Close! He was very close!

“Perhaps you should produce your next free program.” Victor said thoughtfully.

“Huh?” Yuri said in surprise, “But, my coach has always chosen my music- OW OW OW!” Yuri wailed as Victor pulled his leg up further.

“Isn’t it more fun to do it yourself?”

“But my previous coach…”

“Who was your coach again?” Victor asked, leaning in further and… what did Yuri just feel against his-?

“DEAR GOD!” Both Victor and Yuri turn, and Yuri flailed when they saw the crowd of bathing guests that had gathered at the window and were watching Victor and Yuri’s awkward position. Victor smiled and waved.

*

In the change room at Ice Castle the next early morning, Victor made Yuri call his previous coach, Celestino in Detroit.

Evidentially Celestino still had Yuri in his phone since he picked up knowing who was calling. _“Yuri! Ciao, ciao! I haven’t seen you since the Grand Prix Final!”_

Yuri smiled a little to hear the older beta’s voice. “Celestino, it’s been a while.”

_“I hear Victor’s your coach now?”_

Yuri felt a wave of guilt. “Yeah… I’m sorry.”

_“Why are you apologizing?”_

Victor leaned in over Yuri’s shoulder. “Ciao, ciao, Celestino! I’m his coach, Victor!”

Yuri heard his former coach grunt into the receiver. _“You’re playing at being a coach in Japan, huh? Cut it out, it’s insulting.”_

“Hey, hey, not fair…” Victor’s smile dropped and Yuri looked at him with wide eyes.

“I-I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by that…”

But Victor seemed over it already. “Celestino, why didn’t you let Yuri choose his program music?”

Celestino took a second to answer. Yuri could hear the familiar sounds of a busy skating rink behind him. “Well, I usually select music for my skaters, but I also let them choose if they want. Yuri only brought me a piece once. I believe it was composed by an acquaintance. It wasn’t bad but when I asked him if he thought he could win with it, he reconsidered and told me to pick for him. He’s never had confidence in himself. I told him again and again to trust himself more, but no dice.”

“Okay, thanks,” Victor said and then drew back, looking as though he was thinking hard about something.

Yuri swallowed hard and spoke into the phone again. “Um, Celestino… I’m going to redeem myself at the next Grand Prix Final!”

There was a silent moment, then a barked laugh was heard down the phone. “That’s what I wanted to hear you say at last year’s Grand Prix Final! I’m glad you found someone who can push you back into things, if nothing else.” A shout was heard in the background. “Oh, I have to go, Yuri. But don’t hesitate to call me, I want to know you’re doing okay.”

“Okay, thank you. I will.” Yuri pressed the End Call button and felt a smile touch his lips. “I’m so glad. I couldn’t bring myself to contact him for so long.”

Victor spoke up in a flat voice that held a note of irritation. Yuri shivered. “Yuri. Could I hear this music he mentioned?”

“Uh…”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I’m your coach, aren’t I?”

“Right, right! Sorry…” Yuri hoped Victor wouldn’t be too disappointed.

*

In Russia, Yurio was by the side of his home rink at practice, but instead of doing regular warm ups with the rest of the skaters he was on his phone. Yakov had yelled at him to start stretching at least, so out of spite Yurio had stuck one leg straight up in the air over his head and leaned on the side board as he buried himself more into his text conversation on Yuko, the Japanese girl he had met at Ice Castle. Yakov had grumbled and left him, finally.

“What? That piggy’s producing his own free program?” Yurio grumbled as he read the text from Yuko, “Why does she care if I’m producing my own program or not? Is she scouting the enemy? Damn it…”

Without warning, Yurio was grabbed from behind by a tall, female skater he knew well as she looked blatantly at his phone over his shoulder. “Yuri! Did you go to Japan to find a girlfriend?”

“No, get off me, Mila. Are you horny because you dumped that hockey player?” Yurio snapped bluntly. Mila was from the senior alpha female figure skating division and her violent dumping of Olympian alpha female hockey star Anastasia Popov had been big news recently. “That chick was stupid, by the way, I would never almost get myself killed because I was dating someone else.”

“That’s why I like you, Yuri!”

“Not that I’d ever date you. Because you’re an ugly troll. AH! PUT ME DOWN, HAG!”

“I’ve been practicing my lifts lately, too!” Mila said happily as she held the Yurio’s slight frame easily above her head with her powerful muscles.

In that moment, like an eldritch abomination, Yakov appeared from thin air to give his students a look that would have made Slenderman scream in horror.

“Yuri. Mila.”

Mila let out a gasp, eyes widening as she wondered how they could have missed Yakov’s approach. “Coach Yakov…”

“Put me down already! Come on!”

“Are you two switching to pairs skating?! Put him down! You look ridiculous!” Yakov snapped. Mila stammered an apology as she set Yurio back on his feet, watching the young beta head onto the ice and immediately start practicing his short program.

Mila was surprised. “I wonder what happened to Yuri in Japan. He used to hate practice, but he’s much less abrasive than he used to be.”

Yakov snorted. “He was arrogant about his abilities because no one in his age group rivalled him. I recall he would tell me constantly when he was first put under my instruction that he ‘deserved’ to be in the ‘alpha class’ because he was better than all the omegas and other betas. I would tell him over and over that alpha was a ‘division’ not some inherently superior skating class that was being denied him.”

“Oh, you mean us alphas aren’t inherently superior to betas?” Mila asked, a smirk tugging at her lips.

“Of course not, don’t even start. You know well how badly we’d get beaten if they made us compete against other genders,” Yakov said gruffly, though with a lighter note in his tone than usual, “The division is to protect us, really.”

“Yep! Of course we’ll _say_ they only won because we didn’t want to see them cry.”

“Well, naturally.” Yakov and Mila shared a tiny smirk before the humour was gone under Yakov’s usual hardened persona. “But I believe that his face off with Yuri Katsuki in Japan was his wake-up call. He’s not going to easily win this time without trying. This may make things interesting. In fact, I think he’s ready for the next stage.”

“Next stage?”

“I’ve uh,” Yakov cleared his throat, looking awkward suddenly. “I made a call. I doubt she would have taken him before because of Yurio’s attitude but I think now… he might be ready.”

“Ready for…” Mila looked confused before her eyes lit in shock as it hit her. “YOU CAN’T MEAN-“

Mila was cut off by excited squealing in the hallway. “Oh my god, she’s here NOW?!”

“Uh, yes, yes she did say she was coming today…” Yakov looked EXTREMELY awkward now as he turned to the doorway and the imposing, gaunt figure that darkened it.

“Thank you for coming, Lilia,” Yakov greeted as he approached the door.

“So, which one is he? If I don’t like what I see, I’ll go home,” Lilia’s voice cracked like a whip, straight to the point and harsh as artic winds. Yakov called Yurio in from the rink and the young beta looked wholly unimpressed to see he had a visitor.

“Who’s this hag?”

Mila gasped in horror. “What?! How do you not know this is Lilia Baranovskaya! Former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet! One of the most decorated omega ballerinas in history! YOUR COACH IS HER EX HUSBAND, YURIO!”

Yakov covered his eyes. “Mila, don’t shout those sort of things. Get back to practicing, this doesn’t concern you.”

Lilia seemed to have ignored the outburst entirely, instead striding with grace and precision toward Yurio and grabbing his face. The beta let out a squawk of protest as his mouth was forced open. “Hmm, no cavities.” Yurio was grabbed and forced to hold onto the metal railing by the window as the omega woman grabed his ankle and hoisted it above his head.

“OW, OW, OW!”

“Physically, he’s abysmal.” She turned to Yakov, leaving Yurio wondering what just happened. “We start from square one with ballet lessons.”

“Do what you want,” Yakov said, the words an echo of most of the conversations he recalled having with Lilia. Of course she would do what she wanted no matter if Yakov said that or not, that’s something he’d always loved about her even as they learned they didn’t work together as a couple.

“Ballet? What the hell?” Yurio’s face reddened.

Lilia’s eyes narrowed. “I will choreograph your free program. Your next goal will be to become this season’s principal, no, prima ballerina.” Lilia reached out and Yurio didn’t move as she ran her fingers down the side of his face. Instead he seemed to be digesting her words, assessing them to decide if they were worth listening to. “If you are willing to sell your soul to win. If not, say so now.”

Even before Yurio grabbed Lilia’s hand as it lingered on his cheek, the change in his eyes showed Lilia all she needed to know. “If selling my soul is all it takes to win, I’ll give you my whole body, no holds barred.”

Lilia gave a sharp nod. “I am Lilia Baranocskaya. Go home and pack up your things. You will be living with me from now on so I can monitor your practice.” Both Yurio and Yakov gaped at that. “Yakov, you’re coming too.”

“L-Lilia! I have other skaters! I can’t just take off to your house for weeks!”

“Don’t get me wrong, Yakov. I don’t intend to get back together with you.”

“Huh? What? I wasn’t hoping for that at all! I’ve got other skaters to train!”

“This lot?” Lilia looked disdainfully at the other skaters around them. “It’s obvious that Yuri is your best chance at winning. Most of your effort should be going to him. In any case, you can still come to the rink to train the others, you will merely be with Yuri in my house to make him feel more comfortable. I doubt the transition to living under my rules will be easy. And…” she hesitated, turning away before finishing her sentence, “If I become too harsh, I know you will let me know. I doubt this one would tell me.”

Mali saw that Yuri was being unexpectedly quiet about the exchange regarding himself. He was thinking again, she supposed. He did that a lot these days. Maybe his hormones had finally calmed down a bit, heh.

*

In Hatsetsu, Yuri was on his computer late at night headphones over his ears as he poured over potential tracks to use in his free skate program. He had shown Victor the music he’d had made back in college but… Victor wasn’t exactly excited about it. Usually Yuri just had his coach pick the music and choreograph his performance, but Victor didn’t do that. He also choreographed his own programs and even had his own music written to make stories. Yuri had imagined doing that himself one day but never felt like his ideas were really good enough.

Deciding to take a break for a moment, Yuri pulled off his headphones and checked his cell. He opened Instagram and saw, as usual, a boat load of pictures uploaded by his old Detroit rink-mate Phichit. Yuri smiled as he remembered the beta boy who was always dragging Yuri out to parties and bars, but could still be happy just sitting in their dorm room together, playing with his hamsters and talking about their skating heroes and what routines they’d love to do someday.

By the looks of the pictures, it seemed that Phichit had gone home too, now practicing at a rink in Thailand. Maybe it was because of his earlier, positive conversation with Celestino, but Yuri was suddenly hit by the urge to call Phichit. He opened Facetime and rang up his friend.

Phichit picked up fast, he must have been on his phone already, as usual. “Hey, Phichit-kun?” Yuri said, smiling as Phichit waved at the screen.

_“Yuri! It’s been a while. How have you been?”_

“Fine, fine,” Yuri nodded, “You’re practicing back in Thailand, huh?”

_“Yeah, Detroit’s boring without you. Oh, but you should come visit Bangkok! I’ll show you around!”_

Yuri laughed, his eyes sliding back to the computer screen that still had iTunes open on it. “Maybe. Phichit, do you remember how I had a music demo made?”

Phichit grinned. _“Sure I do! By that conservatory student, right? You asked her to compose it.”_

“Yeah, well, it got shelved in the end. Things got awkward with her after that.” Mostly on Yuri’s end, but the beta girl had been so nice and to not use her work because he wasn’t confident in it felt like he was insulting her whether she took it that way or not. “But I was wondering if-”

_“Oh, I see! I’ll put out feelers to see where she is. I’m sure she’s not mad or anything.”_

“Maybe not, but…” Yuri sighed a little, “I mean, it’s not that she did badly. It was a bit weak, but that made sense considering that I asked her to express my whole career as a skater. She did capture that pretty well, the underwhelming career of Yuri Katsuki.”

 _“Hey now, you stop that!”_ Phichit scolded, wagging a finger, _“You made the Grand Prix Final last year! Not everyone can say that!”_ He grinned. _“You’re a great skater, you just think too much, Yuri. Let me tell you, I’m going to find that beta girl, and I’m sure she’s going to write a whole new arrangement that will be perfect for you! The career of Yuri Katsuki, greatest Beta Male Skater in the world!”_

Yuri flushed brightly at the praise. Phichit was always like this though, he supported everyone. It was normal to be overly enthusiastic about your friends. “Ha, well, if you say so. Anyway, I’ve got to go for now.”

 _“Alright, talk to you soon!”_ Phichit was honestly too nice sometimes. _“Oh wait, I forgot! Is it true about you and Victor Nikiforov?”_

“Huh? Oh, yes, it’s true, he-“

_“IT’S TRUE?! SERIOUSLY?!”_

“Well yeah, I mean, it surprised me too but-“

 _“After all those hours you spent talking about him and idolizing him, the posters, to think you’ve gotten so far with him…”_ Phichit appeared to be in awe and Yuri laughed awkwardly.

“Yeah, well, I guess it’s overwhelming when you put it that way.”

_“But Yuri, you’re so young to be a father already!”_

“What?” Yuri blinked. Then blinked again. Then a look of horror washed over his face. “PHICHIT! **VICTOR IS _NOT_ PREGNANT WITH MY CHILD!**”

“Oh,” said Phichit. “Well… I’m glad you’re using protection then.”

“PHICHIT, NO.”

*

“What? You still haven’t chosen the music?” Victor sounded completely exasperated as he berated Yuri by the side of the rink before their daily practice. “Why can’t you just trust your own decisions? Just… try to remember something, like when a girlfriend loved you.”

“What?!” Yuri snapped, bags under his eyes. He’d been up practically all of the previous night listening to different music and taking notes… oh no, he was being rude. Victor didn’t know any of that. “S-s-sorry! Right now, it’s just that I-“

“Oh, right. You’ve never had a girlfriend.” Victor tapped his chin and Yuri blushed furiously, excusing himself to the ice and started doing some basic routines to calm himself down. Victor… he was… completely tactless. Yuri had to deal with it, though.

Practice went normally after that, but in the change room, Yuri thought Victor seemed a bit off.

“What is it?” Yuri asked, after Victor had stared at him for about a minute without blinking.

“Yuri, let’s go somewhere today.”

“No, it’s okay.” Yuri shook his head. He had to keep thinking about his free program. No time to goof off. He walked past Victor and took up a jog to get himself home faster. He needed to check his email again, too.

There was no luck that afternoon either, none of the music sounded… unique enough. What he really wanted was for his old music to be rewritten but Phichit hadn’t had any luck finding his old composer again.

After dinner, Yuri felt exhausted. He’d been up way too long and it was dragging on him.

Victor didn’t seem to notice. “Yuri, let’s go take a bath together.”

“I’m going to sleep,” Yuri said flatly, walking past Victor without looking at him and heading for his bedroom.

“Yuri, let’s go to sleep together!” Victor called down the hall after him, but Yuri just closed the door in his coach’s face. He was too tired to deal with it, he’d apologize in the morning.

When morning came though, Yuri suddenly felt the gravity of how rude he’d been to Victor, coupled with the anxiety of STILL not having music for his free program… he couldn’t get out of bed. He knew Victor would be at the rink, waiting. He KNEW that being late would only make it worse but he was frozen, shaking in his bed. He couldn’t stand the guilt!

Yuri let out a shriek as his bedroom door was slammed open. He peeked out from under his blanket to see Victor in the doorway… smiling?

“Good morning, Yuri! Let’s go to the ocean.”

He knew it was irrational, but Yuri suddenly had a vision of Victor leading him to the ocean where a bunch of tough looking Russian alphas would be waiting to tie cement blocks to his feet and throw him into the water for his transgressions.

Yuri swallowed. “O-okay…”

*

“There’s a lot of seagulls here,” Victor observed.

“Black tailed gulls,” Yuri specified. The sky was overcast, and no one was on the rocky shore except for them, and Maccachin. They sat on the rough sand and stared at the constantly moving waves, smelling the strongly salted air and listening to the bird cry as they swept overhead. It felt peaceful, and sort of other worldly. Having Victor next to him this way really felt like something he’d seen in a dream. Maybe he was still asleep now.

Victor broke the silence, as he most often did, eventually. “Ever since I came here, I’m reminded of St. Petersburg when I hear seagulls in the early morning. I never thought I’d leave that city, so I never used to notice the seagull’s cries. Do you ever have times like that?”

Silence fell again, but Yuri was thinking. A minute later, he responded, looking more at his knees than anywhere else. “There was an omega girl in Detroit who was really pushy and kept talking to me. One time, a rink mate got into an accident. I was pretty torn up worrying and… I was in the hospital waiting room with that girl. When she hugged me to comfort me, I shoved her away without thinking about it.”

“Wow, why?” Victor sounded surprised.

Yuri shrugged and huddled closer to his knees. “I didn’t want her to think I was feeling unsettled. I felt like… like she was intruding on my feelings or something, and I hated it.” Yuri finally looked back up at the choppy water and nibbled his lip as Victor waited for him to go on. “But… then I realized, very recently, that Minako, Nishigori, Yuko, and my family never treated me like a weakling even when I fail to live up to my potential constantly. They all had faith that I’d keep growing as a person, and they never stepped over that line.”

Victor sighed. “Yuri, you’re not weak. No one else thinks that, either.”

“I’m not a powerful alpha like Nishigori, or a cute omega like Yuko…”

“You’re a lovable beta, like Yuri.”

Yuri felt his cheeks flame up. They did that so often around Victor, what made him this way constantly? “I-I, that…”

“What do you want me to be to you? A father figure? I am a lot older than you.”

Somehow the thought of comparing Victor to Toshiya made Yuri vaguely ill. “Only four years. And no.”

“Okay, a big brother then? A friend?” Yuri made a non-committal noise. Victor hummed. “Then, your boyfriend I guess. I can try my best.”

Yuri’s brain exploded. How could Victor joke like that?! The beta flailed and waved his hands frantically. “No, no, no, no, no! I-“ Yuri looked at Victor with a severely panicked expression. “I want you to stay who you are, Victor! I’ve always looked up to you.” Yuri forcibly slowed his words and glanced anywhere but Victor’s face. “I ignored you because I didn’t want you to see my shortcomings. I’ll make it up to you with my skating.” Yuri looked up only when Victor held out his hand to him. The omega man’s face was uncharacteristically seriously.

“Okay. I won’t let you off easy, then. That’s my way of showing my love.”

Yuri shook Victor’s hand, wondering what Victor meant by that… but glad that Victor was willing to meet him where he was… wherever that was. Suddenly, Yuri’s phone notification tone went off. He checked it while Victor stretched and threw a stick for Maccachin to chase.

“An email… oh, it’s from… Victor! She said she’s going to redo the music!”

“Huh? Who’s redoing what music?”

Oh right… he should probably have told Victor… he was going to get scolded again. Well at any rate, until the music was done, Yuri was going to get Victor to teach him every jump he knows!

*

Yuri, however, would never have to endure scolding like the scolding offered to Yurio by Lilia Baranocskaya.

“No! No! Not like that at all!” Lilia shouted as Yurio performed what appeared to be a well-executed spin on the ice, “Throw yourself away! Your past self is dead! People who can be reborn as many times as necessary are the strong ones!”

Yurio turned into a jump, his tiny ponytail swinging out behind him. Lilia hissed through her teeth. “It’s no good at all. Even the king crab we ate yesterday had a better free leg than you! Do it again, starting from the same place.” Yurio began to head back to the starting position. “Your response?”

Yurio was panting, but he stood at attention none the less. “Yes, ma’am!” He returned to his starting position and began again.

Yakov watched with an approving nod. “It might have been good that he doesn’t have Victor around to keep influencing him. He’s rebuilding his strengths instead of goofing off and relying on his talent to carry him.”

“Nikiforov, I would hope, did more than goof off or else you’re a worse coach than I could have imagined,” Lilia said stiffly. Yakov grunted.

“You try corralling that man, it’s harder than it looks. Yuri’s way easier to deal with, and I still can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to. You have no trouble though.”

Lilia blinked. “Yuri is hot tempered and aggressive. He is a beta with the body of an omega that is so determined to prove himself ‘better’ that he overcompensates to act the alpha. I’ve seen it before from other short men who feel they need to act tough to compensate for how others view them.”

“… is this about me, now?”

Lilia rolled her eyes. “The point is that, if anyone knows how to handle an alpha mentality it’s an omega. Another alpha will just try to dominate through enforcing their will, and an alpha mind will see that as a challenge. A beta will try to dominate through leading a conversation and trying to force compromise, which may have sway but is useless if the other is too stubborn to change for them.”

Yakov raised an eyebrow. “And how does an omega dominate, then?”

Lilia raised an eyebrow right back. “We don’t need to dominate, if we already know we are in control.”

Yakov snorted, but he was smiling a little. “Well, does that really matter? Yuri’s not an alpha.”

“Hmm… I wonder about that…” Lilia’s eyes were drawn back to the boy on the ice who was making one of the highest jumps she’d seen from him.

“Huh? He’s already fifteen. If he was going to present it would have happened already.”

Lilia merely hummed as they watched Yurio, her eyes alight to pick out any and all flaws. Time would tell if he would live up to her expectations.

*

In Japan, Yuri had been practicing jumps with Victor for at least half an hour, non-stop. He was tired, but ready for more. Victor was right alongside him for every jump, but Yuri knew he still wasn’t getting all of them yet.

“Victor, please let me do that loop one more time!”

Victor appeared to be sweating and panting far harder than Yuri was, and seemed less eager for more punishment. “Wow… hasn’t it been tens of thousands of times already?”

“Huh? Just thirteen.”

Victor shook his head, marvelling. “I’ve thought this for a while, but you have really good stamina.”

“Well, I have that, at least.”

“You said you get hungry when you’re nervous in competition, too. You haven’t suffered any major injuries, and you’re younger than I am. Plus, you don’t have to worry about heats and taking birth control which can cause fatigue as well.”

Yuri remembered Phichit’s… misunderstanding and frowned, cocking his head to one side at Victor’s flushed face and glistening forehead. “Victor, are you in heat right now?”

“Eh? You can smell it?” Victor looked shocked, “You didn’t notice last time.”

“No, no! You mentioned fatigue I- oh god, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that! It’s so personal, I’m sorry!”

Victor laughed a little. “You’re being weird now, Yuri. I don’t mind. It’s just a normal bodily function after all, like how beta and alpha girls get periods.”

“Well yes, I know,” Yuri coughed slightly, adjusting his glasses as he got into info-dump mode, “Omegas have heats instead, and their bodies reabsorb any extra blood and nutrients in the womb from the last ovulation to help prevent dehydration and deficiencies while their body goes into overdrive… but omega birth control sometimes makes omegas have periods too, doesn’t it? And causes side effects like hair thinning…”

“WHAT?! Is it getting thin?” Victor’s hands fled to his hair, but he touched it gently with a terrified expression.

“Eh? No, no, everything’s okay!” Yuri waved his hands, horrified that he’d gotten this reaction.

“I’m hurt… I can’t recover from this…” Victor moaned dramatically as he sank flat out onto the ice, burying his face in his arms. This may have been a ploy in order to get more rest time, but as Nishigori watched Yuri plead forgiveness from the sidelines, he could only think that, well, at least those two seemed to get along alright.

*

At around midnight, Yuri was looking at cute hamster pictures on Phichit’s Instagram when he finally got the email he had been waiting for. “It’s here!” he exclaimed as he grabbed his laptop and made a mad dash down the dark hallway to Victor’s room, having no presence of mind as he burst in and jumped straight on the bed, waking both Victor and Maccachin who barked in alarm.

“Victor, listen to this!” He realised as Victor rubbed his eyes that he might have waited till morning… but he was so excited and it was done so… “Oops, sorry! The music for the free program’s done!”

“Really?” Victor mumbled sleepily, “Yeah, okay, give me the headphones.” Yuri handed them over and Victor listened for a minute. Then he looked up at Yuri, smiled, a nodded. Yuri grinned back.

“It’s better, right? I think… I think I can win with this!”

“I’m glad to hear that, Yuri,” Victor’s smile widened, “And since you’re here already, we can finally have that slumber party!”

“H-huh?” Yuri squawked as Victor grabbed him into a hug and pulled him down on the mattress with him, the laptop pushed to one side to make room. “V-Victor! I need to go back to my room!”

“But if you go now, you could wake up everyone else!”

“Well, I mean, I made more noise coming here so they might already be awake…”

“Still, as your coach, I think it might be better to stay!”

“B-but, I-I…” Yuri shivered, “I don’t… want people to say stuff…”

Victor blinked. “What kind of stuff?”

“Well, Phichit thought we were… together. Apparently a lot of people think that. I know it’s stupid, they’re only saying ignorant things because you’re an omega, and it’s not fair and I shouldn’t care but… I just don’t want people to think less of you, of you being my coach… I don’t want them to think it’s just because you’re…”

Victor sighed and sat up, letting Yuri go at last. “Listen, Yuri, don’t worry about that stuff. I mean it, it won’t matter what I do. It won’t matter if you win gold, or how many times you win gold. It won’t matter if I go down in history as the greatest skater to ever live. It won’t matter if we did get together, or if we didn’t. None of that will matter to people who only look at me and see an omega that’s ‘natural place’ is in a marriage and having children. Those people will think the same of me no matter what. At best I will be ‘unlike other omegas’ and at worst I’ll be ‘stealing spotlight from deserving betas’ or ‘unrightly upstaging alphas’.”

“Victor… I don’t think-”

“I know you aren’t like that, I know, you don’t need to defend yourself,” Victor took a sharp breath, “I just want you to know that, because once we start going to competitions, you will encounter more and more people who will think badly of me, of our arrangement.”

“Why would anyone think badly of you? You’re amazing! I just don’t want to ruin your legacy…”

Victor’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, and Yuri felt the warmth in it. “If the whole world were as accepting as you, Yuri, I wouldn’t have to have this talk. Just… if you want to go back to your room it’s fine, but I would be honoured if you would stay with me, tonight. After all…”

Victor leaned close to Yuri’s ear, “An omega shouldn’t be left alone while in heat.”

Yuri swallowed hard, then yelped as Victor blew on his ear. “I-I’ll sleep on the coach- the couch! I’ll sleep on the couch!”

“Aw,” Victor pouted as Yuri stumbled to the sofa, throwing the soft blanket there over himself and said goodnight before forcibly shutting his eyes. Victor shook his head and doused the light just as Maccachin jumped up on the sofa to be with Yuri and received a welcoming hug. Lucky dog.

As much as he pretended to though, it was a long time before Yuri slept, his mind racing like a bullet train long into the night.

*

At the rink the next morning, Victor and Yuri sat on the bleachers pouring over a notebook where they were planning the choreography of the free program.

“If you want more impact, maybe the last jump can be a quadruple toe loop?”

“Huh? For the last one?” Yuri was surprised, even Victor never made his last just a quad, at least not at the end of a routine.

 “With your stamina, I think you can pull it off. But if you don’t want to, don’t feel pressured.”

“I’ll do it!”

“Heh, okay. Oh, and Yuri, did you pick a musical theme for your programs?”

“Oh, yes, uh…”

“Yuri?”

“Th-the theme is ‘On My Love’.”

Victor beamed. “That’s perfect. The best theme. Okay, let’s finish this!”

“Yeah!”

*

A few days later, Yuri entered the main lounge of the inn to find all of his family, as well as Sakura from up the street, the Nishigori family, Minako, and Victor all waiting for him.

“SURPRISE! Congratulations on your assignment in the Grand Prix series, Yuri!” Everyone cheered and applauded as Yuri stared, dumbfounded. He hadn’t been paying attention so he didn’t even realize the assignment had come out yet. Apparently everyone else knew though.

“Thanks.” That was all Yuri could think to say.

“Okay, so I’ll announce which events you’ll be competing in,” Victor started but was cut off as the triplets jumped onto the table with a large stack of chart paper for some reason.

“But first!” Lutz interrupted.

“Since the Katsuki family still doesn’t know much about figure skating (somehow), we’ll give a simple explanation!” Axel continued for her sister.

“Oh, that’d be very helpful,” Hiroko said with an indulgent smile.

Lutz cleared her throat loudly. “AHEM. What is the Figure Skating Grand Prix series? Skaters with high scores in the previous year participate in a maximum of two competitions out of six worldwide. Only the top six skaters advance to the Grand Prix Final in each division, which decides who’s number one! The divisions are of course, Senior and Junior Alpha Female, Senior and Junior Beta/Omega Female, Senior and Junior Alpha Male, and Senior and Junior Beta/Omega male. We all know which Yuri is in, obviously.”

“I have a question,” Sakura piped in and Loop pointed at her.

“Shoot!”

“Why are betas and omegas grouped into the same division? Most sports have a clearly distinct omega division, with both male and female omegas. Why is skating different?”

“Glad you asked!” Loop said with a grin, “We know all about it! See, back in the sixties, that’s when omega suffragists were gaining ground and were getting into most professional sports such as baseball and basketball and gymnastics.”

“But figure skating was out!” Axel cut in. “While obviously plenty of omegas in the world knew how to skate, and some countries let omegas compete in smaller, national competitions, plenty of places threatened to boycott the major world figure skating championships if omegas were allowed to compete, even in their own division! They said omegas couldn’t handle the physical demands of professional skating and would just hurt themselves or else make a mockery of the sport!”

“Which was obviously crap,” Lutz said with fire in her words, “But then, legendary figure skater Monique Rodriquez from Chicago, Illinois appeared on the scene! She had trained for years on her parents’ sink, but even though she knew she was good, she also knew that as an omega she couldn’t make it on the world stage! So… she got her parents to help hide her gender!”

Axel was back now, “With the help of early heat suppressants and a whole lot of falsification of documents, Monique was signed up to compete in state competitions as a beta, and won every time!”

“She obviously qualified for the GP, winning gold in both of the first two rounds, and silver in the final competition!”

“But then only weeks after her silver, she slipped up and forgot to take her heat suppressants! Everyone thought it had to be a mistake at first, maybe the latest presenting in history, but when they found out she’d hidden her gender the whole time, the Professional Skating League was furious!”

“She had her medals taken from her, and was barred from ever competing on the world stage again!”

“But she went on to become a huge spokeswoman for omega rights! She led campaigns to change the way things were run!”

“And while she was fighting, MORE OMEGAS STARTED PRETENDING TO BE BETAS TO GET INTO SKATING!”

“At first only a few were discovered, but then soon there were so many in skating programs across the world that the GP started making its participants go through physical exams before being allowed to compete! But somehow, some still got through, and won more medals! Of course, it would be a very long time before one took gold in the men’s division,” Lutz nodded to Victor with a smile, “But the women’s won a fair few of them!”

“Finally,” Loop said throwing her hands in the air, “The GP decided to allow omegas into the sport because they were getting in anyway and obviously could ‘handle the strain’. They first suggested giving omegas their own division like they have in other sports.”

“But the omegas said, NO!” Axel jumped up and down, “They boycotted the omega division, and kept sneaking into beta competitions, because they said they OBVIOUSLY were at least good enough to skate with the betas as they had proved as much, and wanted to keep doing so! And a lot of betas SUPPORTED THEIR DECISION!”

“So, at last the GP relented and now Betas and Omegas compete on the world stage of skating! Even though certain countries still require that their omegas compete only against other omegas on a national front, more and more every day are letting Betas and Omegas skate together. Of course, the Olympics still have omegas in their own category… for now. But there’s talk of that changing too.” Loop gave a nod that was mimicked by her sisters. Their audience clapped.

“Wow, I didn’t know figure skating had that much omega history behind it. Why didn’t you ever tell me all that, Yuri?” Mari asked with a pout.

“Huh? I thought you knew already.”

“Why would I know all that?!”

“And this season!” Lutz said holding a finger in the air and ending the brewing rant, “Yuri’s been assigned to the third event in the Grand Prix, the Cup of China! Yuri’s former rink mate, Phichit from Thailand, will be there too!”

“Oh, Phichit!” Yuri said excitedly. He’d get to see his friend in person and be able to thank him properly for helping him find the music for his free program.

“And his second event will be… the sixth event, Russia’s Rostelcom Cup! He’ll be up against his fated rival, Yuri Plisetsky!” Lutz announced.

Mari brightened considerably. “Wow, Yurio! Davai, davai!”

Victor gave Maccachin a head scratched. “You’ll be minding the house during the season, Maccachin.”

“I’ll bet if you show up with Victor as your coach, they’ll think you stole him from the sport!” Nishigori joked.

Yuko laughed along with her husband.  “Maybe skating fans worldwide will hate you now, scooping up the world’s most eligible omega bachelor!” At Yuri’s suddenly anxious face, Yuko softened. “Sorry, sorry! We’re on your side, Yuri!”

“Yeah we are!” Minako chimed in. “I’ll come cheer you on this season, too! First up is the Cup of China!”

“Um, actually…” Lutz said slowly, her fire dying a little.

“Yuri, last year…” Axel continued.

“In the Nationals…” Loop edged on.

Yuri bit his lip. “I uh… I think I finished eleventh because I messed up my prep.”

“So you have to compete in the block championships,” Nishigori said bluntly.

“What?” Victor asked, confused.

“Oh, we’re talking about domestic competitions,” Yuri explained.

Yuko nodded along. “Yes, Yuri had a big loss in last year’s Nationals. So this year he has to work his way up from qualifying competitions. His first event this season then, is the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship in September.” Yuri’s misery had her tacking on, “It’ll be his comeback competition!”

Nishigori gave Yuri a firm slap on the back which nearly drove him into the table. “Well, you’ll breeze through that!”

“Oh, but Minami from Fukuoka will be competing in it!” Lutz piped in.

“Yeah!” Loop added, “He beat Yuri in the Nationals! Minami Kenjiro from Kyushu, said to be the number one rising star among younger omega skaters!”

“Right…” Yuri said vaguely as everyone added their own words of encouragement. Yuri felt the beginnings of anxiety for the upcoming competition rise in his heart but his family and friends were making it hard for it to come to the surface just yet. Until then, Yuri had thought he was fighting by himself. But with Victor there now… everything felt new. He can’t regain the contests he’d lost but… he can see the future now. He was going to stand with Victor, and his family and friends, and he was going to do his very best to make them all proud.

*

In Russia, Lilia was shouting again. “From the beginning!” she called out, but stopped to give a rare smile when Yurio paused to pulled the ponytail from his hair, letting it hang loose around his face. It softened him dramatically. “That’s right, Yuri… that’s beautiful.”

“He was so reluctant at first, but he’s becoming more and more like a real prima ballerina,” Mila observed, in awe of the omega woman and her commanding presence. She could only wish to be able to reign in someone like Yurio.

As Yurio ran through his routine again and again, he could only think that even as a beta, he had a short window before his body changed and he could no longer pull off the moves he could now. He had to take advantage of everything he had right then to win.

*

As Yuri skated his program with Victor beside him on the ice, he could only think that figure skaters, no matter how talented, will only be competitive for a short time. At twenty three, this would probably be his last competitive figure skating season. He didn’t know how long Victor would stay with him, or how long his body would hold up. But… if he could just have Victor’s time, if only for now…

“Oh, Yuri, you haven’t named the piece. What will it be?”

“Oh, er, I think… ‘Yuri on Ice’ sounds right.”

“Yes, it’s perfect.” That warm smile again.

In September, Victor’s and Yuri’s season would finally begin. He hoped he could surprise Victor as much as Victor had surprised him so far.


	5. Its The First Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri competes in a local skating championship to requalify for the Grand Prix Final! It should be in the bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo so like... here is some more of this.
> 
> Personally I think alphas are all just like roosters okay. Just super protective of everyone. Omegas. Betas. Children. Younger alphas. They just need them to be safe and fed and they get upset if they aren't. Also they like strutting around and waking people up by yelling very loudly at the sky. But this isn't about that.
> 
> So basically Victor needs to watch his damn back because Yuri's got some tough friends okay.

**Episode 5: It’s the First Competition**

Yuri Katsuki swallowed hard in anticipation, his hands shaking at his sides as the woman before him called his name. He forced his feet to move him forward and dug his hand into the bag. Anything but number one… anything but…

It was number one. Yuri was going first. Crap.

He staggered back to the bench where he sat with his three competitors at the Senior Beta/Omega Men’s Division of the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship. Yuri couldn’t help but feel out of place. He was by far the oldest of the four, 23 years old where the others were only 17 or 18. If he lost here… what was the point of any of it? He had to make sure he kept it together. But going first… oh it was so much pressure! Yuri hid his face in his hands for a moment, but peeked to see to his confusion one of his competitors was staring at him with a bright red face.

“Huh?”

The boy, who had bright blond hair with a red streak and the light, thin build and round face of an omega… though Yuri supposed he shouldn’t assume, looked ready to burst as a grin burst across his face at the acknowledgement. “I got to see you draw the first spot in person again, Yuri! I love it!” He squealed loudly. Yuri blinked. Was he… supposed to know this boy?

“Um…”

The boy’s eyes widened. “What, you don’t remember me? What a shock!” The boy wailed until the woman with the bag called out another name.

“Next up is skater Minami.”

The boy jumped up like a shot. “Right here! I’m Minami Kenjiro!”

Yuri thought the name sounded vaguely familiar but… he still wasn’t sure who it was. Weird kid, though.

“Yay, I’m going fourth!” Minami cheered as he drew his number. Whoever he was, he certainly had better luck than Yuri…

When Yuri headed to the locker room to prepare for his program, Victor was already waiting for him with a hoard of reporters. The Russian omega flagged Yuri over immediately and wrapped and arm heavily around Yuri’s shoulders before addressing the press.

“We’ve timed Yuri to peak at the Grand Prix Final, so this competition isn’t a problem. He can take it easy and just earn a personal best score today!”

Yuri felt like ice had been shoved down the back of his shirt and tugged Victor down to hiss in his face.

“I think I’ve told you this repeatedly, but in last year’s Nationals, _I bombed everything._ They wondered if I was injured, but physically, _nothing was wrong with me_. I lost, despite being a top contender, because I was mentally weak. _Remember?!_ ”

Victor just looked surprised, like he had the last several times Yuri had explained this to him. Why oh why would he not just realise how bad of a skater Yuri really was?!

*

By the rink side, Victor smiled brightly as he offered Yuri a box of tissues that was shaped like a familiar poodle. “Maccachin’s cheering for you, too, Yuri! So try to be happier, okay?”

Yuri reached out to touch the box, but was still feeling distracted by managing anxiety that was coming in waves at the moment. “Hm? Oh, yeah, real cute.” Manageable, but distracting. Not great. He’d been practicing with Victor for months but honestly, he still wasn’t sure about himself. He had to figure out if he was in good enough shape for the Grand Prix series. The others skaters… didn’t matter. He couldn’t think about them now, but oh… he couldn’t lose! If he- no, no, they don’t exist, they don’t matter…

Why did he feel like someone was staring at him?

He heard one of the coaches on the rink side call to their skater doing their last practice before the competition. “Minami! Focus, okay? Focus! Remember how focused you were at the Nationals? Don’t get overwhelmed by the energy around you!”

Yuri winced, remembering his awful performance at Nationals. He had fallen repeatedly, he’d been shaking the whole time… gah, focus! Focus!

*

Later, Yuri was heading through a crowd searching for Victor, who had gone mysteriously missing. Unexpectedly, he DID see Minako and Nishigori.

Yuri barrelled toward the two alphas. He meant to say a friendly hello or perhaps ask when they decided to come watch, but the first words from his mouth were “Have you seen Victor? I can’t find him, and the competition’s about to start!”

Nishigori, after a moment processing Yuri’s sudden appearance, took a look of concern. “Victor’s missing? When did you see him last? We’ll help you look for him.”

“Yes, he can’t have gone far, I hope nothing happened to him…” Minako said, gritting her teeth and feeling her senses heighten, seeking Victor’s scent. “But don’t worry, if anyone can find an omega, it’s an alpha!”

“Oh, right, well,” Yuri blushed, “Sorry, I don’t think he’s in trouble or anything, he probably just wandered off to look at something and got lost…”

“Uh, isn’t he over there?” Nishigori said suddenly, pointing to a large hoard of fans surrounding a tall man in a suit. Who was Victor Nikiforov. Who definitely wasn’t wearing a suit when they got to the rink that morning.

“Ah, Yuri! Sorry to keep you waiting!” Victor waved as Yuri fought his way to him through the swarm.

“Why did you change clothes?” Yuri asked, feeling just a little annoyed with his coach for leaving without telling him.

Victor grinned widely, looking completely oblivious to Yuri’s distress. “Today is my glorious debut as a coach, so I should be in formal dress!”

Yuri groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I… yes, you’re exactly right.”

Victor leaned toward Yuri and pulled his hands from his face. Yuri only heard a tide of screaming around him that faded to white noise as his coach got his concerned eyes as close to Yuri’s face as he could manage without actually touching. “Yuri, remember, try to be happy. You’re going to be fine.”

“How do you know?”

Victor looked rather concerned at that response. “Yuri… you are competing against children. You know that, right?”

“Yurio is younger than my competitors though!” Yuri hissed, eyes widening as he remembered the small Russian beta that was so far ahead of where Yuri was at that age…

Victor sighed, patted Yuri on the shoulder, and directed him through the crowd toward the change room. “Yurio is different than your competitors here.”

“Why?”

“I’m pretty sure your competitors here actually have lives outside of skating.”

“… that’s a bit mean, Victor.”

“Is it? I was the same as he was, at his age.”

“… of course you were…”

*

_“Honoured guests, this event is the senior beta/omega men’s short program. Will the competitors please take the ice for your warm-up?”_

As the woman’s voice rang over the speaker system, Victor looked at Yuri with a thoughtful expression. “As your coach, what should I say before sending you off to the program? What I’m thinking of right now is… Yuri?” Victor blinked, then frowned as Yuri merely handed him his skate guards and headed directly onto the ice. His goal was to reach the Grand Prix Final, he couldn’t get nervous already at this stage.

… he was so nervous. Why did he have to go first? Yuri spent so much effort trying to stop himself from shaking that he almost didn’t hear the announcer when she declared that the warm had ended.

Yuri went to the rink side and grabbed his water bottle that sat next to Victor, and did take note that Victor looked rather… pissed.

“Victor?”

“Yuri, turn around.” Why did he sound so prickly? At Yuri’s hesitation, Victor tsked and repeated his demand. “Turn around, okay?”

Yuri frown, but did as asked, turning so his back was facing the side board, and Victor. “Um, like this?”

“Yes,” Yuri made a choked, screechy kind of noise as Victor’s arms snaked around him and pulled him backwards, the omega’s chin resting on his shoulder as numerous camera flashes shimmered around them.

“Oh my god,” Yuri whispered, realizing quickly that he had no room to hide himself from the attention. Just before he was able to go into shock however, he realized that Victor had gotten his lips up to his ear and was whispering into it.

“Seduce me with all you have. If your performance can charm me, the one the press calls the most eligible omega bachelor in the skating world? You can surely enthrall the entire audience. That’s what I always tell you in practice, right?”

“R-right,” Yuri stammered, realizing, to his surprise, that he was actually starting to calm down. Then he realised that Victor’s sweet scent was in the air around him… oh, Victor was calming him with his pheromones. That was nice. That was really nice actually. Not as effective as it would be with an alpha maybe but… he supposed this was why they sold special incense that was meant to mimic an omega’s scent. It really was soothing.

Taking a deep breath, Yuri broke away from Victor and headed to the center of the ice to get in position for his Eros program. He would skate just like he did in practice. He would become a beautiful pork cutlet bowl!

Yuri broke into his first step sequence and his first two spins went off without a hitch. Yuri thought he was doing alright so far but… why was the crowd barely doing anything? There hadn’t been any applause… back at Hot Springs on Ice there had been way more enthusiasm.

But no, he couldn’t think like that. He was dancing for Victor. And Victor… Victor would like the next step sequence, moving perfectly in time with the music and pushing as much passion into his movements as possible. He was a pork cutlet bowl fatale that enthralls men, he could do this.

First jump would be a spread eagle into a triple axel… he made it. The momentum was meant to carry on to a quad Salchow but it resulted in an over-rotation, plus he had to put his hand on the ice to stop himself from falling outright. Damn it, he couldn’t let this end him, he couldn’t disappoint Victor…

Victor had put so much faith in him, had been there every step of the way these last few months… As he headed to his last jump combination, Yuri breathed in through his nose and could almost smell Victor’s scent still clinging to the air around him. That… was more distracting than helpful. His quad was fine, but the triple meant to follow it turned into a double.

Still, the spin was the last element, and as he spun he thought, what was the conclusion for the love crazed couple? How did it go? Right, right, the omega woman casts aside the alpha man she seduced and leaves for the next conquest!

Yuri was left breathing hard in his end position, barely noticing the applauding crowd as his eyes searched for Victor. He wondered vaguely if he did okay as he stumbled off the ice… only to see Victor looking… underwhelmed.

“The first half was great, but you were too focused on jumps in the second, so your performance got sloppy,” Victor lectured. Yuri felt his face warm in shame.

“Right.”

“I don’t really like that sort of thing.”

“Right.”

The announcer’s voice suddenly rang out overhead. _“The scores, please, for Katsuki Yuri. His short program score is 94.36. He is currently in first place.”_

Yuri perked up significantly. That was almost ten points higher than his previous best score!

Within seconds there was a reporter in front of Yuri and a camera in his face. “Mr. Katsuki! While this won’t be an official record, this would’ve been among the top ten scores in the world! Do you attribute your success to your coach, Russian Omega Former-skater Victor Nikiforov?”

Yuri smiled. “Well, I would say I definitely wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him, but don’t call him a former skater, he’s only taking the year to train me…”

“So you are confirming that Nikiforov will be back next year?”

“Yes I-“

“Is the year’s absence due to his unplanned pregnancy?”

Yuri’s eye twitched. “VICTOR ISN’T PREGNANT!”

After fending off the reporters, Victor led the way back to the green room so Yuri could have some water and rest up a little. “You know, since you weren’t under pressure, I thought you’d score in the hundreds.”

Yuri’s mood, which had been relatively high since the brief interview, plummeted. “Right, you’ve scored above a hundred points to break the world record multiple times…”

Victor made a dismissive sort of noise. There was a pause before Victor suddenly lifted the poodle plush to his face and waved it in Yuri’s direction. “By the way, Yuri. About the free skate tomorrow, I want you to lower the difficulty of the jumps and focus on performance!”

“Uh… what?” Yuri wondered if he was meant to be addressing the plushie. Victor was a strange man.

“You’ve never nailed them during practice, have you?”

“But- eep!” Yuri backed up rapidly as Victor moved closer, pushing the poodle plush closer to his face. “It’s not a bad idea to lower the difficulty early in the season, is it? You should prioritize adjusting your programs to help you reach your peak for the Grand Prix Final. Are you saying you can’t listen to your coach?”

“W-well-“

“Woof!” Victor said in a high pitched voice, rubbing the plush on Yuri’s face now. It occurred to Yuri suddenly that Victor was trying to be cute so Yuri would be less upset about having to lower his jump difficulty. Mari used to do the same thing when she had to tell Yuri something upsetting. Yuri sighed. It was an effective strategy. Omegas had a special power, apparently.

“I uh, alright, Victor.”

“Good!”

*

 _“Representing Kure Higashi High School Skate Club, please welcome Beta skater, Fujiwara Hikaru-san.”_ The announcer’s voice rang over the rink, but even as the skater took his starting stance, it seemed some fans were still reeling over Yuri’s performance.

“That was AMAZING!” Minami sobbed to his coach, an omega woman called Mrs. Kanako. “Yuri’s pure charms became a rich eros in the best form of betrayal possible!”

Mrs. Kanako sighed but kept a good natured smile on her lips. Minami was sweet, but he was prone to emotional bouts common for omegas his age. She well remembered her own, though they calmed rather a lot after she got married and had a few children of her own. Sometimes she wondered if she had waited longer before doing so, she would have made it further than the Nationals in figure skating herself. “Minami, get ready. It’s almost time.”

Minami turned to Mrs. Kanako with wide, adorable eyes. “Mrs. Kanako, you saw it, right? You saw that triple axel? For me, that was a GOE of three million points!”

Mrs. Kanako couldn’t help but giggle at Minami’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, I hope you can land your Achilles heel, the triple axel, this time.”

Minami pumped his fist in the air in determination. “Yeah! I’m gonna show Yuri my skating!”

*

Minami came off the ice feeling like he was walking… or maybe skating on air. He’d done so well, and was chattering excitedly to Mrs. Kanako about it.

“And I managed to land the triple axel, too!” Minami said with glee as he came into the green room.

“That was your best performance yet!” Mrs. Kanako agreed.

Then, Minami spotted Yuri Katsuki being interviewed, just feet from them! Rushing over and not thinking about the fact he was clearly interrupting, Minami tapped Yuri’s shoulder to make him turn around. “Did you see my ‘Lohengrin’ performance just now?”

Yuri looked at Minami with a slightly baffled expression. “Er, I was being interviewed, so I didn’t. Sorry.”

Minami felt like Yuri had driven a nail into his heart with an oversized mallet. He felt tears coming to his eyes. “I even had a similar costume made to the one from your famous ‘Lohengrin’ program…” Minami’s voice wavered as he opened his jacket to reveal his costume hidden beneath.

Now he seemed to have Yuri’s attention as the beta gasped, looking stricken. “That’s a costume from my dark past…”

Now it was Minami’s turn to look stricken, though he recovered fast enough to snap with righteous fury at Yuri’s self-depreciative words. “You don’t have a dark past! Don’t make fun of me for looking up to you for so long and trying to catch up to you!” Minami’s voice quivered again, but he kept on. “I’m going to give tomorrow’s free skate everything I’ve got! Please give it all you’ve got too, Yuri! I won’t forgive you if you slack off!”

Yuri looked at Minami blankly, though Minami thought with confusion that Yuri was gaining a look of horror as the reporter standing beside him began to narrate to the camera excitedly. “Oh! Omega Skater Minami’s issued a challenge! At last year’s Nationals, omega skater Minami Kenjiro finished ahead of skater Katsuki. His first senior division competition. Here in Okayama, beta skater Katsuki will face him with the first public performance of his free skate program!”

*

Once the interview was over, Yuri and Victor went to meet Nishigori and Minako for drinks at a bar nearby. When Yuri saw them at the booth waiting for them, he nearly bolted when both alphas shot up to grab him into huge bear hugs full of loud words of praise and, by the smell of it, it seemed that both had gotten started without the supposed guest of honour. Oh well.

Even when they finally all got resettled in the booth, Minako continued to gush. “I’m just so proud of you, Yuri! I was so afraid that after last year’s disgrace you’d be nervous again and mess up, but you blew those other skaters out of the water!”

“Though admittedly, the other skaters are pretty inexperienced in comparison…” Nishigori mused, only to wave his hands in embarrassment when he saw Yuri’s smile drop slightly, “Not that you weren’t impressive on your own! Honestly, this season will be your best ever, I know it!”

“Yes, well, he still has a long way to go, I was expecting more, but-“ Victor cut himself off when he saw both alphas glaring him down. His eyes widened in surprise as he pointed to himself in what Yuri could only consider a cute manner, and sure enough both alphas looked a little less openly hostile as he did so. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Well… yeah, I kind of want to know what your deal is,” Minako muttered, obviously fueled by the booze his hand was wrapped around.

“Yeah, I kind of want to know too, actually,” Nishigori grunted, folding his arms.

“My deal?” Victor blinked, looking adorably befuddled, on instinct his calming pheromones began to drift around the table, but it seemed the alcohol was dampening their effectiveness and neither alpha looked ready to back down completely.

“Why are you being so mean to Yuri?” Minako asked bluntly, “He did really well today, and he still got chewed out for it!”

“Yes, I don’t really think tearing Yuri’s self-esteem down even more is really going to help him,” Nishigori added, eyes narrowed.

Yuri looked frantically between his old friends and his coach. “Ah, really, Victor isn’t being mean! If I messed up, I’d rather he tell me outright than pretend I did fine when I didn’t…”

“But you didn’t mess up!” Minako said, too loudly perhaps as a few folks from other tables turned to look at them. On top of her voice, her pheromones were mixing heavily with Victor’s, and Yuri’s nose wrinkled at the conflicting scents. It was kind of off-putting, he hoped they weren’t disturbing anyone…

“You really didn’t, Yuri. If there was anything wrong, it was due to a lack of practice with the routine, I’m sure the more you do it the better it will get, and you know how nervous you get when you think you’ll do badly.” Nishigori turned his eyes back to Victor, who had abandoned his innocent confused look and wore a sharper, thoughtful expression as his hands folded beneath his chin.

“Well,” Yuri swallowed, “I’m sure Victor just has higher standards, that’s what made him world champion after all.”

Victor hummed and seemed to ignore Yuri entirely as he addressed Nishigori. “I will admit, since this is my first time coaching, I’m mostly trying to act as my own coach Yakov acted when he was training me. I didn’t really mind the lectures, they only ever told me how to do better next time.”

Minako huffed. “Well, you’re not Yakov, and Yuri isn’t you, so maybe you should lay off a little. Yuri’s more delicate than you!”

“D-delicate?!” Yuri looked horrified, “I-I’m not…”

“More delicate than me, the precious omega star?” Victor’s playful smile emerged as he batted his eyelashes. NIshigori snorted.

“Nice try, Nikiforov. I’m married to an omega who bore triplets. There’s nothing inherently delicate about an omega,” Nishigori smirked, and Victor looked a little surprised because smiling back, more sincerely this time.

“Well, I suppose I’ll bare that in mind. In fact, I already told him he can lower the difficulty of the free skate program, so he won’t have to worry about it as much.”

“That’s something, I suppose…” Nishigori assented, leaning back in his seat and appearing satisfied.

“I’m not delicate! Or well, I’m not that… I can do better!” Yuri said hurriedly, “I don’t need to lower the difficulty!”

“Hmm, well I’m not saying you can’t but, you should probably listen to Victor,” Minako said slowly, nodding to herself, “Yeah, don’t want to peak early. I’ve seen dancers do that, they burn themselves out too fast trying to be perfect all at once. Anyway, you gotta be good to Yuri! Take responsibility!” Minako said, again too loudly. Yuri flushed hard as Victor and Nishigori laughed.

“Actually, since the rumour going around is that I’m in a family way, shouldn’t Yuri be taking responsibility for me?” Victor asked, side eyeing Yuri as he tried to sink under the table.

“Please don’t say things like that…” the beta mumbled.

“Then take responsibility for each other!” Minako insisted, definitely the booze talking as she swayed, “That’s what a relationship is! Two people taking responsibility for each other!”

“Not that you ever held down a partner,” Nishigori said, immediately taking a swallow of sake after as Minako flew into a mock rage at him, hitting his arm repeatedly as the alpha man laughed some more. Yuri breathed a sigh of relief as the attention was off him at last, and he glanced at Victor who was drinking deeply from his glass. He wondered idly what it would mean to take responsibility for Victor, and found himself suddenly having a flashback to that moment at Ice Castle when he knelt at Victor’s feet with his hand in his hair… and now he was back to blushing and trying to hide under the table.

“Eh? Yuri? What’s wrong now?” Victor asked as the beta sank out of view.

*

The next day, Yuri sat in the green room with the other skaters, listening as the reporter from yesterday gave a rundown of events to his audience through the camera.

“The Chugoku, Skikoku, and Kyushu Figure Skating Championship’s Beta/Omega Men’s Singles Free Skate is about to begin! All eyes are on skater Katsuki Yuri and his coach Victor Nikiforov!” The camera panned briefly to Yuri, who waved awkwardly until the camera was off him. He then covered his face with his hand, because his hand probably had a better stage presence than his face did at the moment. Victor, who was beside him, had waved with a much more practiced grin and seemed befuddled by Yuri’s embarrassment, trying to drag his wrist from his face as the reporter went on.

“Katsuki ended yesterday’s short program in first place by a large margin, scoring a personal best of 94.36.” The reporter continued. “The next highest score was 68.55. In Katsuki’s free skate, he will attempt three quads.”

Yuri chewed nervously on the inside of his cheek. Victor had told him to lower the difficulty and only do one quad, but....

“I’m gonna try a quad, too!” Minami’s voice rang out excitedly as he spoke to the other two skaters. Yuri wished he could remember their names, but given that he only remembered Minami after he was brutally reminded of his abysmal failure at Nationals, he couldn’t remember much about the other two. Other than the fact that they were betas, he was pretty sure.

The other two skaters quickly absorbed Minami’s enthusiasm… or perhaps were just trying to impress the cute omega, as both quickly said they would be trying a quad as well. Yuri’s lips thinned. He was more experienced than them, he had Victor as a coach, but if he only did the same number of quads as the other skaters here, how would he set himself apart?

*

 _“We’ll now begin the senior men’s singles free skate event. Will the competitors please take the ice for your warm-up? You have six minutes.”_ The announcer’s voice rang over the rink, and Yuri swallowed back his nerves. He glanced briefly at the other skaters. Minami was looking at him again. Why was he nodding? Yuri walked by him, trying to stay focused even as he heard a sob behind him. He couldn’t worry about the other skaters right now, he would warm up and be ready.

When he came off the ice after the warm up though, Victor was looking at him with a hard expression. Oh god, what had he done during the warm up? Were his arms lopsided? Was his blades out of alignment with the center of the rink? Did he have a cowlick? WHAT VICTOR, WHAT?!

“Yuri…” Victor said with a dark voice. Yuri had never heard him sound so… whatever that voice was. “How can someone who can’t motivate others motivate himself? I’m disappointed in you.” That said, Victor turned his back on Yuri and walked away.

All the nerves Yuri had fought down came bubbling to the surface and he broke down into shakes. What was that? Motivate who? … maybe Minami earlier? But why? And what about Yuri’s own motivation that Victor just crushed under his heel like a cockroach?

 

Once all the skaters were off the ice, Yuri’s eyes wandered to Minami and his coach. Minami was about to perform, which meant… Yuri hadn’t paid attention to the scores of the other skaters, focusing on himself, but didn’t this mean Minami scored the lowest of the four of them for the short program? Well… he WAS the youngest wasn’t he? And the only omega competing… omegas usually dealt with tougher judging as well as having more trouble with having a lot of jumps in the program since they often had a lower stamina than betas after that much exertion…

Yuri overheard Minami’s coach fussing over him, and saw his nervous face. Yuri winced. He… he didn’t make him nervous, did he? Was this why Victor was mad at him? If it was… he had every right to be. Yuri felt awful.

 _“Representing Hakata Skate Club, please welcome Minami Kenjiro!”_ The announcer called and the small omega boy wobbled a little as he skated to the center of the rink. Yuri blinked, remembering all the looks Minami had given him, and his ‘challenge’ the day before… the costume…

Oh heck. He was Minami’s hero, wasn’t he? He didn’t think he deserved that kind of admiration… but there it was. Well, he knew what he had to do.

Yuri took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and screamed. “ **GOOD LUCK MINAMI! GOOD LUCK!** ”

Yuri could see the brightest smile in the world gleaming off that boy’s face, and honestly? It made him feel pretty good.

The music started up, some sort of jazzy swing music. Yuri figured Minami had to have a background in tap dancing, as his step sequences reminded him strongly of that. Yuri figured Minami had to be popular since the crowd was cheering right away. Yuri was a little worried that the kid would have trouble with the complicated jumps he had planned, but when he pulled off the triple axel, Yuri felt sure he would get the rest. His one quadruple toe loop went fine, but the next jump, a much simpler double, had Minami fall. He got up but… he was so inconsistent.

Yuri smiled. Minami reminded him of the skater he used to be. He couldn’t take his eyes off the younger skater as his body moved in time with the music. He already had the skills needed to compete in figure skating at seventeen… even as Yuri left to do some last minute exercises before his performance, he could tell by the cheers alone that Minami was the star on the stage.

*

Minami was thrilled to find out he achieved a personal best score, and loudly cheered on the two other skaters competing, both betas themselves. He knew he had somewhat of a disadvantage against them, but Kanako had told him repeatedly that as long as he kept training and practicing, he could easily start beating them in a few years.

“Remember Minami, omegas usually peak later than betas. That’s the only reason there’s less omega winners than betas! They don’t stay in it long enough! Keep going until you’re skating circles around them, Minami!” Kanako would say. So Minami was content to keep practicing, and cheered for his competitors, because he knew he’d get there someday.

Suddenly, Minami heard the door to the stadium behind him open, and he turned to see Yur Katsuki in his skating costume, hair slicked back, eyes focused… oh gosh, he was so… so dreamy!

Minami almost swooned and blushed as Yuri made to pass him… only to let out a yelp as Yuri slapped him on the back! Oh, was he congratulating Minami? The omega let out a whine of appreciation as his eyes followed his idol on his way to his coach.

Victor Nikiforov, Yuri’s coach, looked at Yuri’s outfit approvingly. “Yeah, this costume’s great. You look beautiful in it.” Minami’s eyes widened as Victor ran a hand through Yuri’s hair and looked closely at his face. “Your lips are chapped,” he said and pulled a small container of gloss from his pocket. Minami’s mouth gaped open as Victor dipped his finger into the gloss and applied it to Yuri’s lips himself! So bold! And in public! Minami knew the rumours were probably true, at least the ones of the secret love affair after seeing the two together, but to do this…

And… oh my! Now they were hugging! Minami nearly fainted from shock. It was true what they said, foreigners were really fond of PDA…

When Yuri finally let go of his coach and headed onto the ice, Minami couldn’t help but called out good luck to his idol. He really hoped he got to skate with Yuri again one day, when he was good enough to be real competition for him!

*

As soon as Yuri took his starting position, Victor trained his eyes on him with the intention to not let them drift for a second. He had to make sure every move was analyzed, so that he could tell Yuri where to improve afterward. He couldn’t let his skater down. Mostly because he promised Yuri he would make him win but… there were other things riding on this too. Victor knew that. He had to do a good job, as Yuri’s coach, since that’s what Yuri wanted him to be.

_“Representing Ice Castle Hatsetsu, please welcome Katsuki, Yuri!”_

The reporter filming near Victor started his commentary immediately. “For the first public performance of his free program, the music is an original composition expressing Katsuki’s skating career, titled ‘Yuri on Ice’. The program was choreographed by Victor Nikiforov.”

Victor lifted his head instinctively on hearing his name, but kept his eyes on Yuri as he began to move. The program was meant to reflect Yuri’s career, and started with Yuri from back when he thought he was fighting alone. The first jump was to be quad-triple combination, which he had been landing fine during practice. This was going to be the only quad in his program, so he shouldn’t have any slip ups with the jumps.

But… the triple turned into a double. It didn’t seem to be a mistake though… was he changing the jump elements? Is he going to add a triple in the second half or was he going back to having three quads?

Didn’t he remember how Victor had told him to focus on refining the program and to not be distracted by jumps?! Why didn’t Yuri do what he told him to? He looked so stiff out there! Wasn’t that the part that was meant to express when Victor showed up to be his coach? Yuri looked like he didn’t like it at all! What was that about? Seriously…

Next was supposed to be a triple Salchow, but Yuri made it a quadruple. He stepped out of the landing but at any rate, it looked as though he had definitely reverted the program back to three quads. He had better prove he made the right choice then and not mess up everything else just because his last jump wasn’t perfect.

His triple toe loop was flawless. It looked as though Yuri hadn’t been shaken up by nerves.  Still, the second half was coming and he looked tired already. His outside spread eagle into an Ina Baeur went fine… still, Victor wanted Yuri to always skate like he was the most beautiful person on the ice, and he still felt off. So far, he would have to tell him to fix up the landing on that Salchow, to loosen up during the second segment, to be more graceful in his positioning, not to mention reprimand him for changing his program without clearing it with his coach…

His triple axel was decent but could be better. He added that to the list of faults to work on. Even so, it seemed that the audience was getting fired up even though Yuri wasn’t nailing his jumps. It had to be because he was skating in time with the music.

Triple flip was next… “So close!” Victor yelped aloud as Yuri had to put his hand on the ice to keep himself from falling. Yuri was being too impatient… but then… that’s part of what made it so hard to look away.

The next jump was his last quad and- OUCH.

Yuri fell hard, smashing face first into the side board. Victor hoped his nose wasn’t broken, it looked like it was bleeding… gross. He had told Yuri to make the last jump a triple for the points! And now he’d gotten hurt!

But… he was getting right back up. That was sort of impressive in and of himself. He was still moving and going into his last spins. Victor wondered who Yuri must take after, to rebel against his coach so hard…

Victor froze as he realized that Yuri’s eyes were on him and his arm was pointed at him as well as he took his ending pose. Oh… he… took after Victor. Of course.

Victor stared at Yuri. He saw the bleeding nose. The pants for breath. The red face. The sweat. The shaking limbs. He had really and honestly given this performance everything he had in him.

Even so, if Victor were Yakov, he would give Yuri an instant lecture. Victor had done that already, but...

“Yuriiiii!” Minami cried out next to Victor.

“He showed his pride as Japan’s top skater!” the reporter declared from nearby. There were shouts and cheers all around the rink from Yuri’s fans.

Maybe… Victor didn’t necessarily have to be like Yakov to be a good coach. Victor wasn’t Yakov. Yuri wasn’t him… but he was kind of like him. Enough like him that Victor could tell how hard he had worked just then.

Victor sees Yuri hasn’t moved, and is still looking at him. He lowered his face into his hand for a second in thought.

Maybe the lecture could wait till next practice.

Victor lowered his hand, lifted his head, and held his arms out for a hug.

It must have been the right thing to do, Victor thinks, as Yuri loudly cries out his name and barrels full speed across the ice to dive forward for his arms… only for Victor to remember at the last second that he’s bleeding and this was a new, expensive suit he was wearing. Victor dodged at the last minute and Yuri crashed to the ground.

“Oops, watch the nosebleed!” Victor said, a cheerful smile on his face to mask his own embarrassment as Yuri sat up in a daze, no doubt wondering what had just happened.

Victor did help Yuri to his feet as the announcer blared overhead. _“The scores, please, for Katsuki Yuri-san. His free skate program score is 165.20. His total score is 259.56.”_

Victor brightened considerably at that news and grabbed Yuri, pulling him into a tight hug now. Time for some Victor-style coaching! “It’s amazing you scored that high after a jump like that! Thanks for proving to me that you’re able to get a lot of presentation points!” He nuzzled his face into Yuri’s thick hair and squeezed him tighter, “You can score even higher, so don’t feel down, okay Yuri?”

“Yuri!” Victor released Yuri, and both coach and skater turned in surprise to see Minami approaching, looking more subdued than earlier, but still smiling. “I totally lost to you. I want to face you in the Grand Prix series someday! Until then, please don’t quit!” Yuri looked about to respond, but Minami wasn’t done. “And another thing! Please give me your autograph!”

“Wha- really?” Yuri seemed shocked, and then more so as the other two skaters swarmed him to ask for autographs and selfies. Victor shook his head. He would never understand why Yuri didn’t seem to realise he had fans. Did he just never go on social media at all?

Victor straightened as he smelled two familiar alphas approaching at high speed and watched Yuri get swept up off his feet into another bear hug from Nishigori as Minako cried beside him.

“Yuri! I was so impressed! It was obvious that you took the younger skaters seriously as rivals and did your very best!” Minako gushed.

“But you were reckless!” Nishigori scolded as he put Yuri down, “You shouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard, what if you’d gotten hurt, slamming into the wall like that at the end?”

Yuri flushed. “S-sorry, at first I was just desperate because I didn’t want to lose… but somehow… in the middle I started having a lot of fun? I don’t remember a lot about it. Anyway, it’s the most fun I’ve had while skating in competition!”

Victor blinked slowly as he watched Yuri celebrate with his friends, a smile working its way onto his face. So, Yuri had fun, huh? Victor was glad to have given him that much, then.

*

A couple of weeks after the Championship, Yuri was at a press conference for top Japanese athletes, discussing their plans for their careers in the coming season. He knew his family, friends, and Victor would all be watching from home as he revealed his theme for his programs that fall.

The reporter called for him to stand beside him, and Yuri was handed a microphone. He tugged at the neck of his shirt in nervousness as he was introduced.

“Next, we have the Beta male skater, Katsuki Yuri, who’s thought to be the next leader of Beta/Omega men’s singles in Japan. Please, show us your theme for this year.” Yuri was silent, and the reporter pressed. “Skater Katsuki?”

“Oh!” Yuri hurried to turn around the card he was holding, revealing a single word: Love. “My theme in this year’s Grand Prix series is ‘love’.” There was silence in the audience. Yuri continued in a strong voice, for him. “I’ve been helped by many people in my competitive skating career thus far, but I’ve never thought about love until now.”

Yuri went on, “Though I was blessed with support, I couldn’t take full advantage of it, like I was still alone. But since Victor became my coach, I’ve felt differently.”

Yuri brightened as he kept talking. “The ‘love’ represented in my theme is not romantic love, but more the abstract feeling of my relationships with Victor, my family, and my hometown. I was finally able to realize that love exists all around me. Victor… Victor is the first person I’ve ever wanted to hold onto. I don’t really have a name for that emotion but… I’ve decided to call it love. And now that I know what love is, I feel stronger for it. And I will prove that strength to myself with a Grand Prix Final gold medal!”

The audience broke into applause and chatter as the reporter thanked him and moved on to the next athlete.

*

Back in Hatsetsu as Yuri’s biggest fans watched his television interview… they were less impressed.

“So we were abstract,” Nishigori said dryly.

“So it would seem,” Yuko said, eyes dull.

Minako frowned. “After all this time we’ve supported him, a cute omega guy turns up and we’re chopped liver.”

Victor, who despite living in Japan as long as he had been still did not have a firm grasp of the Japanese language and was most used to speaking to everyone in English, did not in fact understand everyone’s grumblings in Japanese. He also did not understand the interview, which was also in Japanese. This did not stop Victor from having a complaint.

“When you come back, Yuri, we’ll burn that unfashionable necktie!”

Everyone looked at Victor with varying degrees of incredulity. This was the man that had sucked up all of Yuri’s ‘love’ apparently.

Lucky bastard.


	6. The Cup of China Short Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri's Grand Prix events begin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where have I been you ask?
> 
> Around.
> 
> I don't actually feel bad. Sorry. Here's more of this thing.

**Episode 6: The Cup of China Short Program**

“Wow, I haven’t flown coach in a long time!” Victor said with his usual exuberant smile as he wiggled his way into the seat beside Yuri, who had snagged the window. “Yuri, let’s get some champagne!”

Yuri gave Victor a withering look. “Victor, we had to get up at four in the morning to say goodbye to everyone and get to the airport on time, can’t I please get some sleep?”

Victor looked astounded. “What? I’m surprised you can sleep in such a cramped seat!”

Yuri’s eye twitched a little, and he had to shake off the instinctual words ‘spoiled omega’ that spilled across his mind at the complaint. He couldn’t help it if Victor had money to spare on luxuries like first class flights around the world and he did not, but then, Victor probably didn’t mean anything by it. He just didn’t really think before speaking, as Yuri had by now firmly caught onto.

All he could do was lean on the wall and try to rest. As he fell into a doze, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder and cracked an eye open to see Victor leaning on him, already snoring. Yuri fought to keep his shoulder from shaking with a chuckle as he closed his eyes again to rest on the flight to compete in the Cup of China, the third event in the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series.  

                The triplets had been gushing about his competitors that morning as they were saying their goodbyes with their parents, Minako who would be meeting them later in China, and Yuri’s family. He’d be facing Leo de la Iglesia, a beta skater from America, and Guang-Hong Ji, an omega skater competing on his home turf in China, who had both placed first and third in Skate America respectively. He couldn’t remember offhand who they said won second at that competition. He would also be facing the gold medal winner of Skate Canada, beta skater Jean-Jacques Leroy, who also won bronze in the Grand Prix Final the year before. Yuri knew that Yuri Plitsetsky had come in second at that event as well, but Yuri had known the younger beta would have creamed most of the competition. To have beaten Yuri, the Canadian skater must be awfully tough.

                And of course, debuting in the Grand Prix would be Yuri himself, his friend Phichit from Thailand who was making history for his country just qualifying for the Grand Prix, and another beta skater, Georgi Popovich from Russia. They’d probably run into Victor’s coach Yakov while they were in China, Yuri wondered idly what he would be like. He looked pretty strict from the glimpses and pictures he’d seen of him.

*

                “How much love power do I have?” Yuri asked, a bit overwhelmed by the number of cameras in his face. He and Victor were at the rink where the Cup of China was to be held, doing a meet and greet before the competition, but honestly Yuri didn’t expect so many questions to be about his choice in theme!

                “Yuri, let’s go have hot pot already!” Victor tugged on Yuri’s sleeve, making the beta twitch and push him away slightly.

                “Victor, I’m in the middle of an interview!” Yuri wished Victor would take this more seriously, considering how many questions appeared to be about his coaching situation.

                “Would you say that your close relationship with omega Victor Nikiforov is what allowed you to feel comfortable having an omega as your coach?”

                Yuri frowned uncomfortably. “Victor Nikiforov is a several time gold medal finalist in this very competition, it would be foolish for me to have turned down his offer to coach me. His gender doesn’t matter in the face of his credentials.”

                “So you would consider Mr. Nikiforov to be different from other omegas? Do you find his coaching strategies effective?”

                “Well, er, I don’t know about different from omegas, Victor’s sort of just… different from anyone else I’ve ever met, I guess. And well, I’ve certainly been doing better this year than in previous years so, I guess that means his methods must be effective, right?”

                “But Mr. Katsuki-“

                Victor, who had been looking pretty bored to this point, suddenly spotted his former coach passing by. “Hey, Yakov!” Victor called… only to be ignored. Not to take a hint, however, Victor immediately left Yuri in front of the cameras and followed Yakov, who was of course with his rink mate Georgi. Victor managed to catch up quickly with his long legs and tugged at Yakov’s sleeve with a goofy smile. “Hey, hey, want to come eat hot pot with me and Yuri?” Yakov still didn’t turn around and Victor frowned. “Hey, why are you ignoring me?”

                Yakov finally stopped walked and turned with a furious look on his face. “Victor! Listen to me, I feel sick when I see you playing pretend-coach. I know full well why you’re doing this, and there’s definitely no honour in it. I can’t condone you leaving skating for… for this! So, I’d prefer if you’d only talk to me when you’re ready to plead for your return to skating. Got it?”

                Victor stared at the red-faced alpha blankly for a moment before doing an abrupt about face, snagging Yuri about the shoulders and steering him bodily from the reporters as well as Yakov. “Yakov’s not interested in coming with us Yuri, so let’s go.”

                Yuri was just confused. “Why were you inviting Yakov to hot pot?”

*

                In their small booth, Victor was gushing over all the dishes they had to choose from. “Look, Yuri! Shanghai crab! Drunken shrimp! Duck blood! Vkusno!” Victor took a big bite of the shrimp and looked ready to squeal with happiness before a look of concern crossed his face when he saw that Yuri wasn’t eating. “Huh? Yuri, why aren’t you eating the shrimp? It’s so good!”

                Yuri gave Victor a small, apologetic smile. “It’s right before the competition, so I want to avoid raw food.”

                “It’s really good though…” Victor trailed off and there was a moment of silence before Yuri chose to fill it with his trademark worrisome babbling.

                “I ran my mouth too much at the press conference,” Yuri moaned with a deep sigh following, “What will people say if I lose after all that?”

                Without warning, a wild Phichit appeared. “Oh, Yuri!”

                “Phichit!” Yuri rose a hand to greet the other beta, a genuine smile gracing his face.

                The Thai skater, and Yuri’s best friend from Detroit, jogged over to the two men eating with a joyous look about him. “So this is where you were eating!”

                “Hi!” Victor said with a wave.

                “Oh, hello,” Phichit gave Victor his allotted acknowledgement before turning quickly back to Yuri. “Anyway, Yuri, talk about a coincidence! Can I invite Ciao Ciao?” Phichit pulled out his phone as Yuri felt sweat bead on his forehead at the mention of the nickname of his former coach. “You want to see him, don’t you?”

                “Not really…” Yuri mumbled, but Phichit didn’t seem to hear and called him anyway. Yuri made a high pitched noise of distress that continued even as Phichit finished the call and slid into the booth next to his friend.

                “Eh? Yuri, what’s wrong?” Phichit asked and Yuri abruptly stopped the noise.

                “Huh? Oh, no, no, it’s nothing! I’m totally okay with the idea of my former coach whom I left after an embarrassing defeat and then replaced with someone else coming to eat dinner with me out of nowhere with no time to prepare!”

                Phichit blinked. “Yuri… you know Ciao Ciao isn’t really mad at you, right? He understands why you-“

                “Why is his name Ciao Ciao?” Victor interrupted, still smiling. Phichit looked at Victor with confusion.

                “Well-“

                In that moment, Celestino appeared and waved to the small group. “Ciao, ciao!”

                “Oh,” Victor nodded in understanding.

                “Ah, hello,” Yuri said as he simultaneously tried to vanish under the table.

                “Want some shrimp?” Victor asked, uncaring to the suddenly awkward atmosphere.

                Celestino’s lips twisted downward. “Oh, that kind of food doesn’t agree with me- hey!” Celestino was forced to lean back at Victor was suddenly in his face with a shrimp, thrusting it toward him with a giant grin.

                “It’s really good!” Victor insisted as Celestino back away. Phichit laughed and pulled out his phone for pictures while Yuri succeeded in sinking down low into so just his nose and eyes were visible above the table. Maybe he would be forgotten about.

                “Yuri, tell Ciao Ciao to eat the shrimp!” Victor whined.

                “What?” Celestino looked at Phichit wide eyed. “I told you not to call me that in front of other people!”

                “Huh?” Victor looked at Celestino in shock, “A pet name?”

                “Don’t think weird things!”

                Phichit just started laughing harder, having trouble opening the camera app on his phone through his hysterical tears. Yuri hoped he could start drinking soon, he needed it.

*

                Out getting some delicious street food near the stadium, seventeen year old Chinese omega figure skater Guang-Hong Ji was worrying his friend by not answering his phone.

                Luckily, the omega was predictable, and so his friend, nineteen year old American beta figure skater Leo de la Iglesia was able to find him anyway.

                “Guang-Hong! I thought I’d find you eating here.”

                “Oh, Leo,” Guang-Hong mumbled his friend’s name around a mouthful of food.

                “I was worried because you weren’t answering your phone.”

                “Sorry.”

                Leo sighed, but was fighting a smile. Guang-Hong looked so cute with his mouth full of food. “Hey, I got a call from Phichit. He wants us to come meet him at a hot pot place.”

                Guang-Hong swallowed and frowned. “But I don’t like hot pot.”

                “Oh right, too bad,” Leo hummed, “Apparently Victor’s there too…”

                Guang-Hong’s face lit up just as Leo knew it would. “I’ll go! I’ll go! I want a selfie with him to post online! He’s so cool! I’m going to be a super star omega, just like him!”

                Leo laughed. “Right? Let’s go!”

When Leo and Guang-Hong arrived at the table in the hot pot place however, they were rather horrified to see that their potential dining companions already appeared extremely inebriated. Phichit’s coach Celestino was passed out, Yuri Katsuki was bright red in the face, and Victor was almost naked as he hung off his protégé’s arm. Phichit was taking pictures, as one might expect, though even he was flushed.

Yuri noticed the newcomers first, and waved his hand to his coach apologetically. “I’m sorry, Victor’s had way too much to drink. If you want a picture with him, it’ll have to wait…”

Victor took his moment to nuzzle hard into Yuri’s shoulder. “Mm, you smell good Yuri…”

Yuri sighed. “That’s nice Victor…”

“Let’s all go to a hot spring! Hot spring… Hatsetsu Hot Springs, great place…”

Yuri snorted, shaking his head and lightly patting Victor’s free shoulder. “Victor, we can’t go to a hot spring right now. Uh…” Yuri’s eyes widened as he saw that Victor had sat up straight and was quickly shimmying out of his pants. “Hey, don’t strip!” Yuri grabbed at Victor’s wrists but it was no use. “Someone help!”

Guang-Hong looked a bit horrified, but still had his phone out for pictures. “This is getting kind of R-rated, is it okay to post this online?”

Leo shook his head. “Don’t. Restrain yourself- ah!” Leo gasped as Victor’s pants hit him in the face.

“Is Victor in heat, Yuri?” Phichit asked as Victor was now rubbing himself all over Yuri.

“That’d explain why the liquor’s hitting him so hard…” Yuri grumbled as his own drunken body resigned itself to the dry-humping of a horny omega. He was sure if he was an alpha he’d be getting all working up by the powerful omega pheromones that were starting to permeate the air. He vaguely noticed that Guang-Hong had pulled his shirt up over his nose, though none of the betas around the table seemed to do more than wrinkle their noses a little.

Suddenly, Yuri saw their waiter appear, and the man following him appeared to be the manager. Oh dear.

“Victor, Victor get dressed we’re gonna get kicked out…” Yuri muttered but Victor was way too far gone to answer coherently.

The manager addressed the group in English, looking very cross indeed. “You all have to leave, right now!” he barked, and Yuri’s nose wrinkled more at the angry alpha pheromones than he did at Victor’s aroused ones. “This is completely unacceptable!”

“I’m sorry, I know, they had too much to drink. We’ll help them out,” Leo said quickly, trying to keep peace.

“It’s not that, omegas in heat are not welcome here! We serve alpha clientele, I can’t have this sort of thing here!”

Leo’s demeanor cooled significantly as Guang-Hong stiffened beside him. “That’s fine, we’re leaving anyway.” The two sober newcomers quickly helped Phichit and Yuri carry their wasted coaches out of the booth. Phichit covered the cost of the meal with Celestino’s credit card, and they all headed into the street to hail a cab. Since Celestino was fully passed out, Yuri let Phichit take him into the first cab. But the second cab claimed he couldn’t take Victor anywhere ‘in that state’.

After the third cab refused to take Victor, even after they had forced clothes back onto him, Yuri turned to Guang-Hong with tears of frustration. “Why won’t anybody take him? Is it because he’s too drunk or… is it really just because he’s in heat? That’s not fair!”

“It’s…” Guang-Hong gestured helplessly, “It’s just the way things are in China. We’ll keep trying, there’s bound to be someone eventually.”

It took two more rejections before a small beta woman agreed to take them in, giving Victor a wary expression as she agreed. Yuri waved goodbye to his competitors, and told the woman the hotel they were staying in.

Yuri knew it wasn’t Victor’s fault. Yuri knew that it wasn’t fair that he would be discriminated against just for being in heat… but a selfish part of Yuri’s heart was kind of angry with Victor for getting so drunk and not even telling him that his heat was coming up. If Victor complained of a hangover tomorrow, he would be getting no sympathy from Yuri.

*

                The next day, preparing for the commencement of the short program, Yuri had Victor’s phone shoved under his nose.

                “Do you remember this Yuri? Last night was kind of a blur, my head hurts!” Victor said, far too cheerful for the picture that was blazed on Phichit’s Instagram of a mostly naked Victor clinging to a blushing Yuri.

                “PHICHIT!” Yuri screeched, “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!”

                Phichit, standing nearby, chuckled nervously. “Ah, sorry! I couldn’t stop myself from sharing it online!”

                “Hey, we managed to hold back!” Leo pouted.

                “Cheater.” Guang-Hong added for good measure.

                Yuri groaned, looking back at the incriminating photo in his hand. Now everyone would think he had been fooling around before the competition… it wouldn’t help all the rumours he and Victor were together, though hopefully it might put to rest the ones that Victor was pregnant… unless now they believed Victor was not only pregnant but outrageously irresponsible…

                Suddenly Yuri felt a hand grab his ass, and a full body shiver worked its way up his spine as a nose buried into the side of his head and Yuri got a nose full of extremely pungent omega pheromones. Somewhat familiar too.

                “Yuri, why didn’t you invite me?” a surprisingly deep voice for an omega breathed into Yuri’s ear and Yuri knew exactly who it was. Christophe Giacometti, silver medalist in the Final the year before, twenty-five, and as far as Yuri could tell seemed to be in heat 24/7. He really liked to play up his sexuality for the audience, it had worked so far for him, but he didn’t seem to be bothered to ever turn it off either.

                “Chris…” Yuri muttered, trying to edge away.

                Chris gave Yuri a couple firm pats on the butt. “Looks like you got into shape. Guess your master’s giving you very thorough training.”

                Out of nowhere, Victor appeared by Chistophe’s side, a smile emblazoned on his face as per usual. “Chris! How’s it going?”

                Christophe finally drew away from Yuri and looked at Victor with a pout. “I’m just not motivated without you. How could a bunch of plain betas compete with the finesse and appeal of omegas like us? There’s no point if there’s no real competition you know.”

                 Victor laughed, getting closer to Yuri’s side and sliding an arm easily around his skater’s shoulders. “You’re always like this at the start of a season, though. No motivation, but it builds when you see the other skaters, didn’t you tell me once?”

                “No really, without you, I’m a mess! I can’t get serious at all!” Chris moaned, his eyes wide and glistening. He had an unusual amount of facial hair for an omega, Yuri noted, but his eyes were so obviously omega that he doubted even a scent-blind person would never mistake him for any other gender. “Victor, you have to come back to the fold, we can’t go on without you, you know.”

                “Victor!” a female voice came from one side, and the small group turned to see a couple of alpha female skaters were waving to them. Victor waved back, leaving Yuri and Chris to go and speak with them.

                “Are you really a coach now? For a beta? Look, I get it, but you could have waiting a few more years!”

                “Are you really dating him too? Just split up with him, you know it won’t last!”

                Yuri couldn’t hear Victor’s reply as Chris whispered in his ear. “Yuri, the sin of keeping Victor to yourself is grave. The whole world is hoping for his return. Can you really satisfy him? He is an omega after all.”

                Yuri frowned, his eyes clouding with thought.

*

                “And now, Group one of the Beta/Omega Men’s Singles Short Program is about to take to the ice!” The announcer’s voice rang over the stadium to the tune of hundreds of excited fans cheering. “First up is Phichit Chulanont, beta skater from Thailand, age 20. After placing fourth in Skate America, the first Grand Prix Series event, he’ll need to place second or higher here in order to qualify for the finals.”

                Phichit took his place in the centre of the arena with a soft smile on this face. From the green room on the television, Yuri watched with baited breath. He knew what the music would be, his old rink mate had said he’d wanted to skate to it for a long time. It would be the first time a Thai skater would ever perform it, too. Yuri couldn’t be prouder.

                The music was ‘Shall We Skate?’ from the movie The King and the Skater. Yuri remembered Phichit’s absolute horror when he learned that Yuri had never seen it, and the rush across campus to watch it in their dorm room on Phichit’s laptop, only for his friend to then talk excitedly through the whole thing, offering his own audio commentary. Yuri knew this music was popular to skate to, but Phichit vowed to make it his own. And from what Yuri could see, he definitely did. He was making all his jumps too.

                Ooh, ouch, except that quad toe loop. He got up right after, hopefully it wouldn’t hurt his score too badly. As much as Yuri wanted to win, he wanted Phichit to do well too. 

                Phichit finished in perfect form, and staggered off to the kiss and cry as Yuri let out a small whoop of happiness, though he immediately blushed and hushed himself up when the others around him gave him looks. He had to focus… but he needed to see how well Phichit did too.

                When the scores came in, Phichit looked extremely happy on camera. 86.75 was a good score, and his personal best for sure. Yuri was definitely proud.

                As Guang-Hong took to the ice, Yuri felt a bubble of determination bloom in his chest and went to find Victor. Luckily he wasn’t too far away, but he was talking with Chris, so instead of interrupting Yuri began to pace the hall beside them. After seeing Phichit perform, Yuri knew what he had to do. People who want to see Victor skate won’t be satisfied with Yuri, and the people who want to see him wouldn’t settle for the old him either.

                Yuri picked himself into a light jog, going back and forth to elevate his heart rate and starve off his anxiety. If no one will be satisfied with Yuri, if he was to be hated, then he wanted to be hated as the man who took Victor from the whole world!

                … oh. He liked Victor. He _really_ liked Victor. Oh dear. Yuri paused for a second, eyes widening.

                “Ah, Victor, is he alright?” Chris asked, indicating the flushed Yuri no flat out running up and down the hall.

                “Shh!” Victor hushed his friend, “I’ve never seen Yuri like this.”

                Chris hummed. “He really must be something for you to go with him, even with him being a beta.”

                Victor gave Chris a wry smile, speaking quietly, “You know I never cared about that sort of thing.”

*

                “The last skater from Group One is Yuri Katsuki from Japan.”

                Over the side of the rink, Victor held Yuri’s hands tightly. Yuri, with his newfound knowledge that he actually like Victor in a romantic sense, was rather certain that he would be putting on the most seduction performance of his life. Also, as he discovered his own infatuation, it was starting to dawn on him that maybe Victor might possibly also feel the same way.

                “Yuri, the time for you to seduce me by picturing pork cutlet bowls and women during your skate is over. It’s time to seduce me with your own personal charm. As Yuri Katsuki, seduce me. You can envision that just fine, can’t you?”

                Oh god, Victor totally liked him back. Good thing Yuri was pumped to skate already, so he could be cool instead of a blushing fool. He grabbed Victor’s hand back firmly and got his face so close to Victor’s a strand of hair would have trouble passing between them.

                “Don’t ever take your eyes off me,” Yuri said in a hushed tone, and Victor’s eyes widened, but Yuri had already turned to skate to the middle of the rink and missed the deep blush painting Victor’s cheeks as he wondered why Yuri was so different today.

                He didn’t miss the delighted look on his coach’s face when he licked his lips and shot him the best ‘come hither’ look he had in the repertoire as he because the first steps of his Eros performance. The crowd went wild as well, and by the slight stammering, even the announcer was affected.

                “K-Katsuki Yuri, twenty-three year old beta skater from Japan is skating his first program of the Grand Prix Series. The music is On Love: Eros. He’s declared this year’s theme to be ‘Love’. Well, he’s certainly changed drastically from previous seasons. It would appear that living with his coach, famed omega skater Victor Nikiforov, has changed things for him mentally. The costume, theme, and movements all appear to reflect omegan influence, though it’s evident that Katsuki is capable of making it work for him, much like how his coach would play with gender expectations in his own performances.”

                On the ice, Yuri twirled and spun flawlessly. The audience could laugh at him if they wanted, they could think this routine didn’t suit him. But everyone wanted to see the new him, so Yuri would do his best for them. His best for Victor. He was the only one who could ever satisfy Victor, the only one in the world to know Victor’s love. He would prove that.

                The announcer continued to commentate. “What an amazing step sequence! That was wonderful! Katsuki has planned all his jumps for the second half of his program to get higher scores. That is certainly an ambitious choice. The first jump is a triple axel, and oh, nice height on that! Next up is a quadruple Salchow. In competition, Katsuki has landed this jump less than 30% of the time, yet he’s nailed it! A combination of a quadruple and then triple toe loops… perfect! So far, all jumps have been flawless! A completely different Katsuki from last year! He’s about to complete a short program with the highest technical difficulty in history! This is the birth of a new Yuri Katsuki!”

                On the sidelines, Victor was throwing his hands in the air and waving in heated excitement, face flushed and exuberant.

                “Love wins!” The announcer cheered as Yuri held his final position, eyes trained solely on Victor. “No one can deny that this was a perfect performance! It’s a personal best for Katsuki Yuri. The audience is still on their feet! He used last season’s disappointment as a springboard to learn what love is, and he’s undergone an astounding transformation with the help of Victor Nikiforov!” There was a light sobbing noise in the microphone before it suddenly cut off in the midst of a crowd screaming loud enough to drown it out anyway.

                “That was perfect Yuri!” Victor yelled, holding his arms out at the sidelines. Yuri ran to him, and they hugged tightly before Victor was tapped firmly on the shoulder.

                Chris smirked and shook his head, pointing over their heads. “Boys, the kiss and cry’s that way.”

                In the kiss and cry, Victor couldn’t stop touching Yuri, holding onto his hand as they awaited the scores. “Yuri, did it feel as great as it looked?”

                Yuri laughed a little, noticing Victor’s scent was very strong in the air around them. “Well, I was hoping everyone else felt great watching me.”

                The short program score was then announced, 106.84. Not only a personal best for Yuri, but it propelled him firmly into first place!

                Victor practically squealed as he drew Yuri tightly into his arms again, squeezing him around the chest hard enough to make breathing difficult. “Of course they’d feel great watching a performance like that! You’re the best student ever!”

                Yuri blinked at Victor as he struggled for breath. Just… just a student? Oh no… maybe he misread things after all…

*

                Meanwhile in Russia, Yurio, Mila, and Mila’s new girlfriend, center forward of the Russian Olympic Alpha Women’s hockey team Yekatrina Ivanovich, were watching the Cup of China on TV in their skating rink’s lounge area. They were watching for their fellow rink mate, Georgi, who if nothing else was always good for a roasting.

                “Hey, Georgi’s about to start,” Mila called to Yurio, who was on his phone as usual.

                “Whatever.”

                The Russian commentator spoke onscreen. _“Georgi Popovich, age twenty-seven, from Russia. This season’s theme, he says, is heartbreak. The music for his short program is Carabosse from The Sleeping Beauty. He will begin with a triple axel.”_

                There was a closer view of Georgi’s face, and Mila burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. “This still cracks me up every time! L-look at that eyeshadow! And, phht, his expression… so serious… HA!”

                Yurio snorted as well, taking a swig from his Coke Zero as he actually paid attention to the screen and not his phone. “Didn’t he say he was supposed to be an evil witch casting a curse in his short program?”

                Yekatrina looked at Mila. “Really? That’s kind of funny, but he does look pretty angry out there.”

                Mila smirked and leaned closer to her girlfriend. “I heard he broke up with that alpha ice dancer he always used to post kissy photos with. She hooked up with an omega guy recently. Did you know that, Yuri?”

                Yurio glared. “Shut up, hag!” As if Yurio cared about her gossip.

                Georgi landed a quad Salchow and Mila cringed. “Yikes, he’s actually crying.”

                “Seriously?” Yuri squinted at the screen and sure enough, there were slight tear tracks visible on his face through the heavy makeup.

                A triple lutz-loop combo next, and Mila shivered. “Urgh, I can almost hear her terrified voice.”

                “He is way too into this performance,” Yuri said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “I feel sorry for her.”

                “Oh yeah, his ex is also competing in the Cup of China… she’s probably having to watch this too,” Mila said thoughtfully.

                “Seriously? That’s got to suck,” Yuri commented, turning back to his phone as Georgi finished his routine. The score was announced at 98.17, putting him in second. “If he thinks this is going to be his chance to take the top spot in Russian skating though, he’s wrong.”

                “Oh right, cause that’s all you, huh?” Mila sent a smirk over her shoulder.

                Yurio harrumphed and turned away. “Why don’t you go make out with your girlfriend?”

                “Maybe I will!”

                “NOT IN FRONT OF ME!”

*

                Backstage at the Cup of China, many of the skaters were all gathered around the TV watching Leo de la Iglesia perform to the music ‘Still Alive’. Phichit looked the most impressed.

                “Leo’s performance has been really polished ever since Skate America,” he said, “He’s switched things up even more since then. Always a surprise.”

                “Yes, his program definitely maximizes his strengths…” Yuri said, though without anu quads, he knew that the technically score would be too low to take the top spot. Sure enough, as he finished, he was only in third. That said, the free skate was where it really counted, he could definitely come back.

                Of course that just left…

                _“The final skater is omega skater Chrisophe Giacometti, age twenty-five, from Switzerland. He was the silver medalist in last year’s Grand Prix Final.”_ The announcer’s voice sounded cleared on the TV than it ever did in the arena.

                Yuri watched Chris give his coach a warm hug before heading onto the ice. Victor did hug Yuri a lot too… so did Yuko come to think of it… damn, that was another omega thing that Yuri had read into wasn’t it? He had to get his wishful thinking under control.

                As Chris took his position in the centre of the rink and began to skate sensually to the rather… erotic music coming from the speakers, Guang-Hong gasped lightly.

                “He’s just oozing sex appeal! I wish I could make my body move like that… maybe in a few years… Chris is so cool!”

                Yuri felt a sense of intimidation. After all, his own short program was meant to reflect sexual love, but Chris… well, he had once said Victor’s performance of Eros could make Yuri, a beta man, pregnant. If he hadn’t already used that analogy, he would certainly use it now.

                _“The music is Intoxicated. He’s planned a quadruple Lutz right off the bat. Oh, it turned into a triple.”_

                Even though there was a mistake, Yuri could tell Chris wasn’t fazed at all, he was so professional. His combination spin was perfect too. Damn, he-

                A familiar pair of arms encircled Yuri and pulled him against an equally familiar chest. Yuri glanced up to see Victor watching the TV over his shoulder. Yuri felt his heart speed up, but quickly reminded himself not to assume anything. It wouldn’t be fair to assume Victor was interested in him just because he was being friendly after all.

                Victor started talking over the commentary. “He said he wasn’t finding motivation to skate, but Chris never goes into a major slump. He’s just a slow starter, and doesn’t try to peak in his first event. That said… it seems like he’s really going all-out on sex appeal today.” Chris grabbed his ass on one of his spread eagles, to the screams of the crowd.

                Yuri had to admit, as Chris entered his final spin, his face looked downright rapturous.

                “I guess today sex appeal award goes to Chris,” Yuri sighed.

                Phichit squinted at the screen. “The ice looks wet. Actually, does his crotch look… too dark to you?” Everyone tried to focus and find out, but the camera cut away too soon to confirm anything. Victor just laughed.

                The announcer came on to give the scores. _“Christophe Giacometti’s short program score is 85.60. He’s ended the short program in fifth place.”_

                “Huh, wait?” Yuri blinked, “Then… I’m in first place?”

                “Hooray Yuri!” Victor said happily, squeezing Yuri from behind.

                “I’ve still got a chance,” Guang-Hong said firmly.

                “Of course, but Chris is good at catching up too,” Victor said with a tutting expression. Guang-Hong frowned.

                “It doesn’t matter,” Phichit said with a wink, “Cause I’m definitely going to pass you in the free program, Yuri!”

*

                Back in Hatsetsu, the Katsuki and Nishigori families was watching the skating interviews with rapt attention.

                _“Finishing in second is within my expectations for the short program_ ,” Yakov said onscreen, speaking of Georgi, _“I won’t lose to a third-rate coach.”_

                “Yakov still sounds upset about Victor…” Yuko said with a soft frown, “Yurio has been telling me that he’s never really stopped ranting about it. I hope he doesn’t bother Yuri about it…”

                “Oh, there’s Yuri!” Mari said excitedly as her little brother’s face filled the screen.

                _“At the end of the men’s short program here at the Cup of China, Katsuki Yuri from Japan is in first place! Skater Katsuki, your thoughts on the upcoming free skate?”_

                “That boy isn’t used to being in first place, I hope he’ll be okay,” Hiroko fretted.

                “I’m sure he’ll be just fine, Mom,” Mari soothed.

                _“W-with my coach, Victor, I’ll win with the power of love!”_ Yuri said loudly.

 _“Win, win!”_ Victor said behind him, flashing victory signs with his fingers.

                 Nishigori’s jaw dropped, “Wait, does that mean he and Victor finally…?”

                “No, no,” Yuko shook her head, “That’s just the theme of his program.”

                “I swear, it’s going to happen before the Grand Prix Final!” Nishigori said firmly, “It’s inevitable.”

                “I still say it’ll be after the Final,” Yuko said with a smirk, “Yuri is too shy and awkward to get involved so quickly. You’re going to pay up, mark my words.”

                “Wait!” Loop piped up.

                “We want in on this action!” Lutz continued.

                “We think they’re going to be dating by the end of the Cup of China!” The triplets said together.

                “Really? What makes you so sure?” Mari asked curiously.

                “Well just… look at them!” Axel waved at the screen as Victor hung off Yuri’s shoulder and a blush painted Yuri’s face.

                “Eh,” Yuko shrugged, “I still don’t think it’ll be that soon. You can get in on this action I guess. If you’re right, we’ll go out for ice cream.”

                “Yay!” The triplet cheered as Victor nuzzled Yuri’s cheek. Hiroko smiled to herself. Her Yuri found himself such a nice young omega man. She was so proud.


	7. The Cup of China Free Skate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri is having a panic attack. Victor has no idea what he's doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo it's me again. I totally made another one of these chapters. It is definitely written and it is definitely here.
> 
> Is it good? Idk. But good or bad, I'm definitely going to keep posting these until I've finished this goddamn thing. 
> 
> In other news, looks like I'm going back to school in the fall to become a paralegal. So. That's exciting I guess. Also my hair in pink now. Big changes in my life. Anyway, here you go.

**Episode 7: The Cup of China Free Skate**

                The night before the free skate, Yuri got a call from the Nishigori family.

                _“Great job Yuri! We were really fired up watching! Keep it up in your free program!”_ Nishigori said loudly over the din of his children squealing words of praise into the receiver.

 _“That was the hottest performance ever! Yuri, that was awesome!”_ Yuko gushed, and Yuri smiled at the words, even as a stone started to sink in his stomach. What if he let everyone down again, like last time?

                “Er, well, thank you, I’ll do my best,” Yuri assured, even as he wanted to get off the subject of tomorrow’s skate. “How is everything back home?”

                _“Well, as fine as ever,”_ Yuko said offhandedly, _“I think we’ve got the whole town over at the Hot Spring tomorrow to watch and cheer you on. I know you’ll do great!”_

                “A-and are the triplets doing well?” Yuri tried.

                “ _Well, as you know, they’re your biggest fans!”_ Nishigori said and Yuri could see his grin in his mind’s eye. _“They’ll be watching your every step! They’re excited to see you win it, especially after today!”_

                Yuri felt his throat constrict, but he managed, “A-and Maccachin?”

                _“Victor’s dog? I’m certain he is proud of you too, and excited to see you skate!”_ Yuko assured. Yuri did not feel assured. In fact, he felt his breathing was coming much more rapidly than it should. He knew that his friends were trying to make him fired up and calmed by how sure they were of his skill but… really it just made him more panicked about letting them down!

                Making a hurried goodbye, Yuri shoved his head under the covers and prepared for a night of freaking the fuck out.

*

                Victor knew something was up the second he saw Yuri. His posture was huddled in on himself. There were massive dark circles under his eyes. He was swaying slightly back and forth where he stood.

                Here it was, the anxiety he had been warned about. Well, Surely it could be dealt with without too much trouble.

                “Hmm… Yuri, you haven’t slept, have you?” Victor said, taking a critical stance. Yuri looked startled, as if he didn’t realize he was obviously exhausted. He hurried to explain himself.

                “I-I-I did!” Yuri insisted. “A little bit, anyway- ah! Victor!”

                Victor had grabbed Yuri’s arm and was dragging him away into a back corridor in the building. Yuri blushed hard as people whispered around them, wishing people didn’t get the wrong idea about them just because Victor was an omega.

                Finally Victor opened a door and shoved Yuri inside, the shocked beta realising that there was nothing in this room but some storage boxes and a bed!

                … maybe people had the right idea after all?

                “V-Victor, what is this?” Yuri stammered, unsure if this was the appropriate time for such a thing.

                Without yet answering, Victor grabbed Yuri’s shoulders and turned him, forcing him down on the bed, back first.

                “Victor…” Yuri breathed out, eyes wide. Was this really happening? Why was there a bed in this room?!?!

                “Yuri…” Victor said slowly, voice heavy as he pulled something out from his pocket and quickly pulled it around Yuri’s eyes, plunging him into blackness. Oh no, Victor was kinky!

                “Victor, wait, I don’t… I’m not ready to-“ Yuri tried to sit up, only to have a large, comforting weight settle over him. A blanket. Oh. OH. … oh

                “Nap until this evening’s event starts. It’ll be fine.” Yuri felt Victor pat his chest warmly. “This is a quiet room set up for omegas in heat if they start getting over-stimulated before a competition. I’ve even used this one before, that’s why I knew it was here. I would often use this place to sleep until the last minute before competitions, so my body didn’t make me too tired by the time I had to skate. Heats are really exhausting!” Victor whined, and Yuri suddenly felt a much heavier, constricting weight fall on him and within moments started to snore softly. Yuri tried to move his arms at least, but found he couldn’t, and Victor’s hair was just under his nose, so all he could smell was omega… in heat…

                “Victor!” Yuri let out a cry of despair, knowing he certainly couldn’t sleep like this. “Did you even set an alarm?!”

*

                _“We’re at the third event of the Grand Prix Series, the Cup of China.”_ The announcer’s voice bathed the arena, previously full of noise, with a low hush. _“The Beta/Omega Men’s Singles Free Skate is about to start!”_ The din of voices rose again, this time in loud cheers.

                Down in the green room near the television broadcasting the rink, Yuri was having a lot of trouble opening his water bottle with shaking hands. Victor frowned and took Yuri by the shoulder’s holding him at arm’s length as he gazed into his eyes with an unimpressed expression.

                “Yuri, were you not about to take your nap?”

                Yuri looked at Victor, again appearing startled. Maybe he was just startled out of his own thoughts? He looked bad.

                “Huh? I did nap! I did!” Yuri insisted, but Victor wasn’t so sure. The omega knew he had to do what he could to not make his panic any worse.

                He put on a big, winning smile and said in a firm voice, “I forbid you from doing jumps in the six minute warm-up.”

                “Huh?!” Yuri looked confused and upset, but honestly, if he screwed up a jump now it would basically be all over.

                “That’s an order from your coach, Yuri.” Victor continued to smile, and Yuri continued to shake, even as Yuri left him to go take the ice for his warm up.

                Where he proceeded to try a jump and fell. Great. Wonderful. Victor let out an irritated huff. Was this why omegas never bothered training betas or alphas? Yuri never seemed to listen to his orders… but then, Victor had never listened to Yakov’s orders and Yakov was an alpha. Oh well.  He needed a plan B now. Had to build his confidence back up.

                Victor tried to give Yuri a pep talk as they walked back to the break room. “It’s common for skaters to nail something they flubbed during practice! Well, just continue warming up, nice and easy.”

                Yuri appeared to mostly ignore Victor as his eyes clapped on the TV where Guang-Hong was taking the rink. As both the youngest skater, and one of only two omegas at The Cup, he was at something of a disadvantage, so placing sixth in the short program wasn’t really unexpected. What was sort of unexpected was the music choice, ‘The Inferno’ from the movie Shanghai Blade. Yuri didn’t think the slight form of the omega boy on the ice really said ‘assassin’ in any capacity but he was doing his best regardless. If nothing else, he was nailing all his jumps… oh wait, he did fall-

                The sounds of disappointment from the crowd stabbed at Yuri’s ears. His mind flashed back to the Nationals, all the groans and… no…

                Yuri muted the TV, caused disappointed moans from the other gathered watchers before stumbling to a chair and sinking down with his face in his hands, shaking in deep panic mode. Victor watched with a deep seated concern. He really, really needed to figure out how to fix this. It didn’t seem to matter that Guang-Hong wasn’t doing particularly well, Yuri was still panicking.

                If Yuri was an alpha, it would be as simple as giving him a dose of calming pheromones. Victor had thought maybe a prolonged dose while napping might have had some effect on a beta but apparently not… He had to strategize. Especially since Chris was going on next. That wasn’t going to help Yuri’s confidence at all.

*

                Chris stood by the rink side with his coach, an esteemed alpha who had done very well back in his skating days. In general, once an omega takes in the world circuit, they tended to take on an alpha coach. Not because alphas were necessarily better than the omega coaches that usually handled them in local competitions, it was just that there were still several countries in the world that were difficult to navigate effectively as an omega without an alpha ‘guardian’. It was unfortunate, but it just made having an alpha coach practical.

                Chris’s coach gave Chris a warm hug just before he was to be heading out. “Chris, as I keep saying, just go at your own pace.”

                “Alright,” Chris said with a bright smile.

                 As Chris took to the rink, the announcer’s voice rang over the stadium. _“Next, in fifth after the short program, Christope Giacometti, decorated omega representing Switzerland, age twenty-five. His music is ‘Rapsodie Espagnole’. An error in the short program caused his technical score to fall below that of China’s Guang-Hong Ji, but his presentation score went well above to place him in fifth. In his free skate, he has prepared three quads in the first half. The first jump is his signature move, the high-difficulty quadruple Lutz!”_ The jump was flawless, as was the next, and the combination. Chris smirked to himself on the ice.

                Chris hummed along softly to the music as he completed each component of his routine. Even when the song wasn’t explicitly sexual in nature, his natural sexuality bled through in his moves. He heard the gasps from the audience as he bent forward in a mock-present after one turn.

                Chris had thought, before, that Victor was the same as him. Living for a life on the ice, showing the world what a talented omega could accomplish. Chris was fine holding the title of second in the division, as long as it was another omega, Victor, holding the lead. But now Victor was gone, he had left the ice to train a beta. Yes, surprising them all yet again, but it left Chris alone, now the only omega skater that had a real shot at the Final.

                Hard as it was for Chris to admit, that was rather a lot of pressure. He basically had to represent his entire gender now. Though, he supposed, Victor had been doing that before Chris had made it to the big leagues. Chris could remember being but a wide eyed omega youth, mesmerized by the dancing omegan prince of the ice. He had had the great fortune of watching him win the European Championships for the first time, when Chris had only just debuted in the senior division. He had called out to Victor, his hero at the time and always, and he had thrown him a flower, asked his name, and said he would see Chris at the Worlds. He had been perfect, a vision with long hair and blue carnations. Chris could only dream of being at his level, but he took it as his duty to try regardless.

                Yuri Katsuki… he could never surpass Victor. Chris would win that season, he would keep the dreams of other young omega skaters alive and well! And then he would bring Victor back to the ice! And when he did… Chris would be the one in the centre of the podium.

                Oh, damn, he was going to come… Chris laid on the ice, panting seductively, face flushed in a way he knew everyone in the crowd and at the judging table would find extremely appealing. Nothing wrong with drawing some extra sex appeal after all.

                Chris’s performance left him with a firm lead of 283.81. He would win this yet.

*

                Victor had spent the last several minutes yanking Yuri away from various reporters, trying to find a quiet spot to warm up and try and calm his panicking skater down. Finally, he settled on going to the underground parking garage. Luckily, it seemed no one was down there.

                Jogging on the spot, Yuri asked Victor about the current standings in a dead sort of voice. Victor was fairly certain that wouldn’t help much.

                Unsure exactly what to do, Victor held up his hands and stammered, “O-okay Yuri. First, let’s take some deep breaths.” Oh good, Yuri then looked at him with one of the most unimpressed expressions Victor had seen from him before turning away to jog in circles. So… that was the wrong way to go.

                Overhead, Victor could hear cheers from the crowd. Yuri’s friend Phichit was probably skating now. Victor watched Yuri stretch as the cheers continued, rising and falling. After a few minutes, the cheers erupted even louder than before, with great stamping of feet and applause. Victor’s heart raced to his throat as Yuri stopped jogging, standing deathly still for a moment before shaking so hard Victor thought he might fall over.

                Stuck for a solution, Victor just ran to his skater, clamping his hands firmly over Yuri’s eyes.

                “Don’t listen!” Victor pleaded as Yuri stared at him with wide eyes. Victor stared back as Phichit’s scores were presumably announced, and a more usual welcome cheer heralded Leo’s appearance on the ice. Victor wished he could understand what was happening. It wouldn’t be so surprising to see Yuri affected by the standings of the other skaters if he was younger…

                Yuri looked so young, even now, his face small in Victor’s hands, demure as he looked away from Victor in misplaced shame. Victor felt a deep pain in his chest. He wanted so badly to comfort Yuri, to make him feel better, and even he could smell his pheromones responding to that wish. But Yuri was a beta, and almost all of an omega’s natural talents to comfort would be lost on him.

                Victor couldn’t help but think that another omega would likely do better at this. Most omegas… well, most omegas spent more time around other omegas than he ever did. Victor’s life, for almost as long as he could remember, was skating. Nothing else had ever really mattered, and there were always more betas than omegas in his skating classes… less and less as he got older. Most got discouraged… or more accurately, their parents and coaches got discouraged as they were often taken out of skating when their beta peers of equivalent age outclassed them.

                Victor had peaked late, as most omega skaters do, since it takes omegas a bit longer to develop the necessary muscles for complex jumps, and the stamina for longer programs, than it does for betas (or alphas for that matter). But he had been lucky to have parents that were willing to support his ‘special hobby’ even when he wasn’t immediately the best at it. And on his final year as a junior, he had managed to get Yakov as his coach.

                Yakov was different than his previous omega coaches. He didn’t let Victor take his time to get used to things. He just demanded the best, over and over, telling Victor his every flaw relentlessly until he got over it. And Victor had thrived. Yakov had awakened in him the need to prove himself, something the naturally beautiful omega had never had to do before. And he had met the challenge and succeeded beyond even Yakov’s expectations. He had been proud of himself. Then he got bored.

                Now he was here. And it seemed that Yakov’s techniques didn’t work on Yuri… and perhaps his own techniques were lacking as well. So… Victor had to think. Why was Yuri so nervous? How could he motivate him? He… had no idea. For all his time spent around betas, Victor didn’t really know what to do with them at all. How embarrassing.

                Victor was shaken from his thoughts as Yuri pulled away from him. “Victor. It’s almost time. We need to go back.”

                Victor looked at Yuri as he turned his back on him to head for the stairs, frantically trying to think of something, anything.

                A whisper of a phrase he had heard on the ice long ago from one of his earlier omega coaches. Skater’s hearts are as fragile as glass, he had said.

                Well… if their hearts are fragile… maybe Victor could try shattering Yuri’s into pieces?

                With Yuri already walking, Victor didn’t have a chance to actually think that through before he spoke. “Yuri, if you mess up this free skate and miss the podium, I’ll take responsibility by resigning as your coach.”

                There was a beat of silence as Yuri turned back to face Victor with wide eyes. Then, his entire face crumpled, and tears began flowing freely down Yuri’s cheeks as a sob broke from his throat.

                “Why would you say something like that, like you’re trying to test me?” Yuri’s voice sounded wet and Victor felt a thrill of fear go up his spine. His heart shattered alight… he was supposed to go on soon! Victor didn’t mean for THIS to happen! He hadn’t been thinking…

                “Uh, s-sorry Yuri…” Victor stammered out as Yuri kept sobbing. “I wasn’t being serious-“

                Yuri cut him off before he managed to dig a worse hole for himself. “I’m used to being blamed for my own failures!” Yuri coughed and took a deep breath before he went on. “But this time, I’m anxious because I know that my mistakes will reflect on you, too! I know that if I fail, it will be like you failed to everyone else, and that will reflect on… on all omegas! That’s so, so much pressure! And I’ve been wondering if you secretly want to quit!”

                “Of course I don’t,” Victor said, trying to calm Yuri, but again he was shouted down.

                “I KNOW!” Yuri screamed, and Victor had no idea what to do now. If he knew, what was the problem? He was still crying, too.

                “I’m not good with people crying in front of me,” Victor understated, “I don’t know what I should do.” And that was what was really frustrating, wasn’t it? He had spent so long knowing just what to do on the ice, and now he was completely out of his depth but everyone expected him to be as good at this as he was at everything else. What was worse, this was Yuri, and if there was anyone Victor wanted to be able to calm it was him…

                Well, maybe, he could offer… casually… “Should I just kiss you or something?” Victor’s breath caught as Yuri let out a loud screech of displeasure. This was followed by Victor feeling an overwhelming sense of hurt.

                “NO!” Yuri snapped, “Just have more faith than I do that I’ll win! You don’t have to say anything, just stand by me!”

                Oh…

                Victor stared at Yuri, the beta’s words slowly sinking in.

                So he’d… been trying too hard? Had he not managed to help at all?

*

                “Next on the ice is Georgi Popovich, beta, age twenty seven, representing Russia. His music is ‘A Tale of the Sleeping Prince’.”

                Georgi stood on the ice in his costume reminiscent of the swan princess, the ambiguity of gender in the costume deliberate, so as to show his own vulnerability.

                If his face was less bluntly male and dully beta, that might have worked more in his favour. As it was, Georgi was likely the only one who thought he looked good out there. Well, Yakov might have been fooled as well. He wasn’t one with great taste in clothing.

                Georgi began his program, at the same time scanning the stands reverently searching for Anya, his lost alpha love. She had to be here, he knew she was competing too! She had been his world, his leader, his guiding light! Why would she leave him behind? He loved her so much, he would have done whatever she asked, was it not enough?

                As he completed his jumps, Anya’s face eluded him in the crowd. But that was fine, if she was watching, she’d hear his call. He knew this couldn’t be how she really felt. She was surely just testing his devotion. Cruel perhaps… but as a beta, Anya couldn’t really be sure of his devotion without such tests. She had said herself many times he had to prove his devotion, and he had every time, now would be no different, surely?

                Then, he saw her, in the stands. Beside her new boyfriend? That omega… but he had been so sure… no, no she was getting up… was she leaving? She was leaving! He caught her eye, his face a mask of devastation. Why would she run away? Didn’t she know he was the one who would do anything for her?

                She looked him straight in the eyes and gave a thumbs down.

                Somehow that felt worse than if she had just given him the finger.

                It couldn’t be true! He refused to believe it!

                Georgi screamed as he went into his quad Salchow and fell on the ice. No, no, he did everything Yakiov said, he always did whatever his coach said, whatever Anya said, why wasn’t it enough?!

                Didn’t alphas always know what to do? If he were an omega, would he have been better at this? Victor never seemed to have trouble…

                But he had to remember what he was doing. He still loved Anya, he would make her realise she shouldn’t have left him… right? Left him for an omega… omegas always surpassed him, but now Victor watched him from the sidelines. How did it feel, watching from there? It was Georgi’s time to shine! But then the routine was over… and he knew he had a long way to go before the Russian Nationals. He could see Yakov ready to lecture him as he headed for the kiss and cry.

*

                Victor sighed as he offered Yuri a tissue box at the rink side. I really should have asked Yakov what a coach should do in this sort of situation. Yuri shouldn’t have to tell him how to do his job.

                Yuri blew his nose, then crumpled the tissue and made to hand it to Victor, only to drop in at the last minute. Victor stooped to catch it, and as he did so he froze as he felt Yuri pat the top of his head before skating off, leaving Victor extremely confused. Was… was his skater trying to comfort him too? He must really be bad at this.

                The announcer drowned out Victor’s thoughts he declared Yuri’s entry onto the ice. _“We now have our last skater on the ice, Katsuki Yuri, beta skater from Japan. He is in first place after his short program. His music is ‘Yuri on Ice’.”_

*

                On the ice, as he began, Yuri felt curiously calm. He remembered the look on Victor’s face when he started crying before, and a smile even crossed his face.

                He’d cried after matches before, many times. But never had he cried before he took the ice. He felt a lot better. Like a calm sea after a storm. His first jump, the quad-double toe loop combination, went well.

                Yuri could see things very clearly, barely needing to think about his well-practiced routine as he thought about Victor’s abysmal job trying to calm him earlier. Yuri might not be an experienced medalist, but Victor was also far too inexperienced as a coach. It wasn’t as if Yuri’s mental weakness only started today, he’d been with Yuri long enough to know it was coming. He should be prepared for that much. Stupid Victor!

                Oh, he made his quad Salchow. He vaguely heard the cheering crowd, but even so, his mind remained calm.

                On his triple axel, Yuri had to use his hand to keep from falling, since he messed up the speed. That said, it had gone pretty well considering he didn’t try it during the warm up.

                Victor really didn’t have a good plan for coaching him. Yuri was a whim of his that had gone this far. Well, if Victor didn’t really come into things expecting much, Yuri may as well try surprising him. He wondered how Victor would react if he made the last quad a flip instead of a toe loop? The flip was Victor’s signature move after all… if nothing else, he would be able to clearly tell Victor he forgave him for being an idiot.

                Next was a triple axel, single loop, triple Salchow combination. He over-rotated the last one, but considering that he hadn’t slept, he wasn’t as tired as one might imagine.

                In his step sequence, Yuri fell into mantra. He wanted to be stronger. He COULD become stronger. He could surpass Victor’s wildest imagination! He would be better than any alpha, omega, or other beta! He would be all and none of them, if that’s what Victor’s vision was!

                And so, knowing that what Victor wanted the most was to be surprised, Yuri melted his toe loop into a flip and-

                He fell. Damn. But he had enough rotations, it was just the landing. Well, he hadn’t really be practicing that, plus the entry hadn’t really been quite right for it, so it was bound to fail. Even so… not ever Victor had ever done a jump that hard at the end of a program. So, Victor would definitely have not expected that from him.

                As he entered his final pose, Yuri quickly picked Victor’s from the crowd, though it was down and he couldn’t read the expression. Was he crying? Or mad? Which was it? Yuri started to skate toward the door off the rink, and as Victor started running to meet him, Yuri sped up as well. He could see Victor smiling, and a smile broke over Yuri’s face as well as he started calling out to his omega coach.

                “Victor! I did great, right?!” Yuri said happily as Victor got closer, stepping onto the ice in his shoes, going in for the hug-

                _Oh…_

                Yuri felt Victor’s lips on his, and everything clicked together.

                Victor did like him.

                And he liked Victor.

                And had basically just screamed that with his skating.

                Well… that worked out well, then.

                Yuri barely felt the ice slamming into his back as Victor knocked him to the ground. Only Victor’s arm around his neck stopped him from smacking his head off the ice, too.

                Yuri looked up at Victor, an easy smile over his face.

                “Hey,” Yuri said, unable to say anything else.

                “This was,” Victor let out a huff of laughter, “the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you surprised me.”

                “Really?” Yuri shook his head in disbelief, but kept smiling. It seemed that, in spite of the fact that he likely didn’t make gold (he did, in fact, make silver, with Phichit snagging gold ahead of him, and Chris behind with the bronze), he still impressed Victor enough to deserve a reward. And oh, what a reward indeed.

                Victor did soon after get up, and helped Yuri up, and off the ice they went toward the kiss and cry. However, it seemed that Victor and Yuri had gotten their fill of both of those namesakes that day already.

*

                In Russia, Mila and Yurio were still watching The Cup of China, with one of the last interviews being of Victor and Yuri. Yurio was eating a blood red soup.

                Victor flashed a peace sign at the camera. _“Now that Yuri can do a quad flip, he’ll definitely win at the Rostelecom Cup and advance to the Grand Prix Final. I’m looking forward to going to Russia as his coach.”_

                _“And his lover, Mr. Nikiforov?”_

                Victor and Yuri looked at each other, smiled, and linked arms. Victor looked at the reporter with soft eyes. _“Well, I would say we may be closer than most coaches and skaters.”_

                Mila gasped and turned to Yurio. “Did you hear that, Yuri? Looks like they made it official!”

                Yurio grunted, gripping his plastic spoon so hard it cracked. “I’ll make you into borscht in Moschow you pig bastard!” Yurio growled, looking at his bloody bowl of soup with something of a bloodthirsty expression on his face.

                Mila frowned slightly. The alpha woman couldn’t help but relate to Yurio in that moment, when she was a young alpha she too had been extremely competitive, picking out supposed ‘nemeses’ and  doing everything to overcome them. She hadn’t ever seen a beta so aggressive, but then, Yurio had always been like this. Maybe he had knot-envy? Or just too much testosterone for his own good… puberty or presenting, they were both bitches to deal with.

                Yurio grunted that he was going to the bathroom and marched past Mila to the hallway, and the alpha woman felt a slight jump of anger without notable cause. She looked at Yurio wide eyed as he slammed the door behind him. For second, she could’ve sworn she smelt…?

                Well, maybe she imagined it.


	8. The Rostelecom Cup Short Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rostelecom Cup short program is about to begin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, more of this thing.
> 
> I am fond of Seung Gil. He is a rude little bitch but I like it.

**Episode 8: Yuri vs Yuri The Horror! Rostelecom Cup, Short Program**

                At the airport in Moscow, Yurio marched sullenly with the rest of his Russian figure skating team, Yakov and his ex-wife Lilia at the head. At they entered the lobby, a legion of girls wearing cat headbands and holding signs with Yurio pictured, drawn as a Japanese cat boy with the word ‘Meow’ circling his head. Yurio would like to believe this was because he was consider the ‘Fierce Ice Tiger of Russia’.

                Really he was more like a fluffy kitten of Russia. But everyone knew better than to needle him about that. So he was allowed to continue living his mild delusion.

                “Look! There’s Yakov’s team!”

                “Yuratchka!”

                “Meow!”

                “Yuri!”

                Yurio twitched, then turned to Mila. “Hey, Mila, watch my luggage.”

                “Huh?” Mila turned, but Yurio was gone, only his large suitcase left behind. Mila called to her coach. “Hey, Yakov, Yuri’s disappeared. Again.”

                Surprisingly, though, Yakov smiled instead of his usual raging at Yurio’s irresponsibility. “Oh, yeah, his family in Moscow’s coming to pick him up.”

                “Oh, alright,” Mila said, then stood awkwardly a second longer, “But he kind of left his suitcase?”

                Yakov’s eyelids lowered and his mouth twisted down. “You’re an alpha, aren’t you? Carry it.”

                Mila’s cheeks lit up red, but with only a couple choice swears she took up the handle of Yuri’s suitcase and followed once again.

*

                In the parking lot, Yurio wandering with his carry-on slung over his shoulder, squinting around as he looked from the dark coloured car his grandfather had owned for the past however many years.

                At last, Yurio heard his name called, and he turned to see the car he had been looking for, parked and with an old smiling alpha man waving to him. Yurio felt a gigantic grin stretch across his face.

                “GRANDPA!” Yurio yelled as he took off at a run, springing up into his grandfather’s arms… and knocking him straight to the ground, making him groan in pain. Yurio flailed as he tried to help his grandfather up. “S-sorry, I forgot you had a bad back!”

                When Grandpa Plisetsky had recovered enough to get into the drivers seat and head out for the highway, he remembered he had brought his grandson a gift.

                “Yuri, I made my usual pirozhkis for you.”

                Yurio was, of course, delighted, and took a bite as soon as he got one of the breaded meat pockets in his hands. It was good, of course, but it made him think of something.

                “Um, Grandpa, have you ever had a pork cutlet bowl?”

                “Pork cutlet bowl?” his grandpa sounded confused.

                Yurio nodded briskly. “Yes, I had them back in Japan. The Japanese word for it is ‘katsudon’. They’re really tasty!”

                There was a silent moment, and Grandpa Plisetsky’s face became unreadable. “Are the pirozhkis not very good?”

                Yurio jumped in panic at the suggestion. “No, no, that’s not what I meant!”

                His grandpa snorted, a smile working its way back on his lips. “Well, then what did you mean _lapushka_?”

                Yurio’s cheek flared up at the old nickname he hadn’t heard in a long time. He shook his head. “I just… liked it is all… your food made me think of it, because your food is also very good…”

                “Alright, well, don’t get too full. There is more waiting for you at home.”

                Yurio smiled a bit, looking out the windshield as he thought about his grandfather’s house, where he hadn’t lived in what seemed like forever, now. It would be nice to see it again.

                A familiar name on the radio station his grandpa was listening to suddenly caught Yurio’s attention.

                “ _Our national hero, omega Victor Nikivorov, has returned to Russia as a coach in the Figure Skating Grand Prix Series_.”

                Yurio let out an indignant huff and switched the radio off. He did NOT want to think about that right now.

                His grandfather raised an eyebrow at the action. “I thought you admired Victor Nikiforov.”

                “Not when he’s being stupid.”

                Grandpa Plisetsky hummed a little as he kept driving.

*

                The skaters for the Rostelecom Cup were put up in the Star Hotel, located close to the rink. It was handy for the skaters to be so nearby. It was also handy for reporters, since they would know where all the skaters and their coaches would be.

                This was why Victor, who had stepped out to get a coffee before returning to the hotel room he was sharing with Yuri, found himself swarmed with reporters as he crossed the hotel lobby. Luckily, his penchant to wear sunglasses indoors kept his disgruntled look from being seen, and he was able to slip into his ‘media persona’ unhindered.

                “Mr. Nikiforov! Mr. Nikiforov!”

                “Hello,” Victor said, raising his hand and flashing a smile as camera flashes lit up around him.

                “How do you feel about returning to Russia?”

                “When will you return to skating?”

                Victor held back a sigh. Why did they have to ask these same questions every time they caught him alone? “Until the Grand Prix Final is over, I won’t comment on any future plans.” This response was a well-practiced one. “Right now, I see a lot of potential in Katsuki Yuri’s skating. I’d like you all to focus on Yuri at the Rostelecom Cup.”

                Victor noticed Yurio trying to sneak by the reporters unnoticed, only to stop and glare at him.

                “If the skater Yuri has that much charisma,” asked one sly female reporter, “Don’t you want to face him as a fellow competitor?”

                “Uh…” Victor looked at the reporter as he groped for a response, then realised he had a perfect distraction at hand. Instead, he smiled, pointed at the boy behind them, and grinned. “Hey, it’s Yurio!”

                “He’s right! It’s Yuri Plisetsky!”

                Yurio seemed extremely alarmed by the sudden attention. Clearly it had stunned him enough for Victor to grab him and pull him under her arm for some surprise photo-ops. “Did you all see the short program I put together for Yurio?”

                Yurio grunted, then flailed, knocking Victor’s coffee out of his hand so it splattered all over the ground. Victor took a moment to mourn as Yurio yelled at him. “Quit acting like you’re still the top Russian figure skater! I’m the star of this event!”

                Victor kept smiling, but inside he was thinking along the lines of, ‘ _Come at me when you’ve won 5 consecutive gold medals in the Grand Prix and World Championships, as well as Olympic Gold, and then spill my coffee and tell me I’m not the top Russian figure skater, you angry kitten thing.’_

                Not those exact words of course, but the feeling was definitely there.

*

                Meanwhile, elsewhere in the hotel by other elevators, Yuri Katsuki was waiting to go up to his room, dressed down in a blue sweatshirt, with messy hair and glasses on his face. He had walked right by the paparazzi without so much as a second glance thrown his way, which was fine by him. Whenever he was away from Victor, no one seemed to know who he was, and that made it easy to find moments to relax.

                While he waited for the elevator to arrive, a rather lovely looking East Asian man strolled up to wait beside him, someone Yuri recognised instantly as a fellow competitor. Seung Gil Lee of Korea. Famed for perfect routines, if a rather chilling exterior for an omega. He had plenty of suitors in his home country, but rejected all of them to hone his craft.

                Unlike in the Cup of China, Yuri had to friends here to greet. He waited in silence, because if he was going to make friends here, it probably wouldn’t be with the one skater who was absolutely never seen with other skaters outside of competitions.

                However, as time stretched on and the elevator still hadn’t arrived, Yuri couldn’t stand the icy silence and broke it.

                “Do you… do you think the elevator is broken?” he asked hesitantly, as one tends to do when addressing a stranger about a potential shared problem.

                Seung Gil made a sort of non-committal sound before replying. “It was moving a moment ago, someone may be holding it at a higher floor.” His eyes narrowed. “It’s extremely inconsiderate.”

                “Er, yes.” Yuri nodded, feeling a very awkward tension growing between them. He decided to try agreeing with the obviously irritated omega man but also to try and calm him. “It’s very inconsiderate to others. But… but it could also potentially be an emergency of some sort.”

                To Yuri’s surprise, Seung Gil let out a huff that sounded ever so slightly like a laugh. “Such a beta response. Betas can’t have a strong conviction about anything, can they?”

                Yuri was extremely taken aback by this statement, not at all sure how he might have come to that conclusion, but was saved from having to respond as the elevator finally moved again in the pause that followed and opened with a chime to reveal two other skaters that Yuri recognised from previous televised competitions. Michele Crispino, beta skater from Italy, and Emil Nekola, young up and coming omega skater from the Czech Republic. With them was a woman that Yuri didn’t recognise immediately.

                It appeared that Michele was rather angry at Emil. “If you want to date my little sister, you’ll have to beat me, first!”

                Emil laughed and held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Heh, sorry, sorry.”

                The girl, whom Yuri now knew to be Michele’s over-protected omega sister Sala who he talked about often in interviews, looked exasperated.  “Mickey! Stop, we’re just going out for a bite. Emil’s an omega anyway! What’s he going to do, present for me? Come on.”

                “Yes, you know I was joking, Mickey…”

                Michele, or Mickey, looked affronted. “My precious sister shouldn’t say such dirty things!” But he pressed on. “Anyway, Sala’s leagues above any other woman, idiot! It’s not beyond reason she could turn even an omega man’s eyes toward her!”

                Suddenly, Sala’s eyes turned toward the two men waiting to board the elevator she and her companions were standing in front of. It seemed she, at least, fully recognised them both. “Hi, Yuri! Hi, Seung Gil! Do you want to come with-“

                “No,” Seung Gil said bluntly before walking straight through the squabbling throng to enter the elevator. Yuri gawked at the rudeness.

                “Hey!” Sala protested, “If you’re turning a lady down, can’t you be more considerate?”

                Seung Gil frowned sharply when he turned to look at her. “Do I get any benefit out of being friendly with you? You’re just another omega that relies on betas and alphas for support. You’re barely a person by yourself.”

                “What?!” Sala gaped.

                Mickey’s jaw dropped. “HEY! How DARE you speak that way to Sala? Do you want a smack down?!”

                “Could you step aside?” Seung Gil asked with cold politeness, as Emil was still standing in his way.

                Yuri, who had seen another elevator open at their level, slunk aboard it to avoid somehow getting drawn into that mess. Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief… only to jump when a foot slammed between the closing doors, forcing them open again, only for a very familiar blond skater to enter.

                “Why are you sneaking around?” Yurio asked with his trademark glare. Yuri was luckily immune to its powers now, however.

                “Yurio, good to see you again,” Yuri said in naked surprise, without much feeling either way beyond that. Silence descended as the elevator rose. “Um, good luck to both of us in the Rostelecom Cup.”

                Yurio sparked at that. “Huh? You’ll suffer a miserable defeat here in Moscow. I’m going to have Victor stay in Russia.”

                Yuri smiled indulgently at Yurio’s insistence. He was pretty sure that Yurio didn’t really have the power to make that sort of threat anymore. It was pretty clear by now that Victor did whatever he wanted, no matter what anyone else had to say about it.

                But that said… if Yuri couldn’t rank higher than fourth in this event, he wouldn’t make it to the Grand Prix Final. Even if Victor clearly had feelings for him now, Victor had more than just himself to think about in the long term. He had such an amazing legacy as a figure skater, it wouldn’t make sense for him to accept ending that with a career as a coach to a mediocre skater. So, if Yuri didn’t make the Final… what would Victor do?

*

                When Yuri finally got to this hotel room, he found Victor sitting on the bed with a bunch of photographs and paper around him. Yuri approached him with caution.

                “Um, what’s all this?”

                Victor looked up and smiled brightly on seeing Yuri. “Yuri! Come look! I have profiles of all your rivals at this competition!”

                Yuri blinked slowly. “Uh… why? You didn’t do that last time.”

                “I know.” Victor nodded. “And while I know you said I just need to have more faith than you do that you’ll win… I also think you’ll be able to prepare yourself better by knowing what you’re up against. When I was starting out, I found it easier to concentrate when I already had an idea of the skill level of those I was competing against.

                “Really?”

                Victor nodded, but his eyes told Yuri there was something else going on that he wasn’t privy to. Well, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to humour his coach. Smiling gently, Yuri carefully got onto the bed beside Victor where the omega had cleared a space for him. Victor smile and put an arm around Yuri, pulling him into his side as he took up the first file.

                “Oh right,” Victor lowered the file and spoke seriously, “As you know, only the top six skaters get to move onto the Grand Prix Final. So far, Chris and Otabek- the skater from Kazakhstan- are the only two that have had their spots secured in the Final.”

                Yuri frowned a little. He knew this, but hearing it out loud really hit home for him. There were only four spots remaining to be filled. He felt a little soothed however, by Victor’s fingers tracing up and down his arm.

                “The other four spots will be determined at the Rostelecom Cup, and depending on how everyone places here, that will determine if your friend Phichit will get into the Final.”

                “He’s probably really stressed out over that,” Yuri said softly.

                Victor hummed a little. “Well, he had at least one gold medal, so it’s still pretty likely he’ll make it in. Anyway, ready to find out who you’re up against, Yuri?”

                “Uh, sure,” Yuri said in a small voice.

                “Er, because if you would rather not, we don’t have to-“

                “No, no I want to know what you’ve come up with. It might help me, I don’t know, process things?”

                “Right, okay,” Victor cleared his throat a little, “Well, first is this guy… uh…” Victor squinted, “Jean-Jacques Leroy? He’s Canadian… honestly I don’t really know who he is.”

                Yuri blinked. “Didn’t he come third in the Final last year? Shouldn’t that be in your notes?”

                “Did he? Oh, wait, maybe he’s a little familiar…” Victor shrugged, “Anyway, he’s nineteen, a beta, and won gold at Skate Canada.” Victor picked up the next file.

                “Wait, is that all you have? Did you do any research at all beyond the first sentence of his Wikipedia page?!” Yuri boggled as Victor pressed on, ignoring him.

                “Next is Seung Gil Lee, from South Korea. He’s an omega, twenty years old, first time in the Grand Prix Series. He got second place in the NHK Trophy. He looks pretty serious to me, and I think he’s my fan because I see a little of myself in some of his jumps.” Victor smiled and picked up another file.

                “Huh? Y-you can tell if someone is your fan, based on how they jump?”

                “Or how they skate in general.” Victor smirked at Yuri. “That’s how I knew you were my fan, when I saw you skating.”

                “Oh, in the video?”

                “In the Final last year.”

                “O-oh, you saw that?” Yuri winced rather badly. “How could you agree to coach me after seeing something like that?”

                “I only saw your short program at the time actually. That had gone fine. But watching the footage of your free skate, you did fail spectacularly. It was actually pretty amusing.”

                Yuri groaned and buried his face in his hands as Victor kept talking.

                “Then there’s Michele Crispino, twenty-two years old, beta, from Italy. He got third in the NHK Trophy. Not much of a threat, he’s okay, but not really in our league.”

                “Um…”

                “Emil Nekola, eighteen, omega, Czech Republic. Took third in Skate Canada. Again, not much threat. His jumps are good, but your presentation is better by far. Unless he really stepped things up for this competition but I doubt it. And anyway, teenage omegas are usually pretty inconsistent skaters. Even I was for a time. The presenting period really makes your stamina at its lowest.” Victor smiled. “And of course there’s you, and Yurio. Yurio got second in Skate Canada but you already beat him once, so I’m sure you can do it again, right?”

                Yuri grumbled. “Yeah, but you won’t be the one judging this time.”

                “So you’re still worried about performing tomorrow?” Victor asked, and Yuri looked up to see Victor looking at his with large eyes. Yuri couldn’t bring himself to respond, instead he looked away, only for Victor to take his chin and bring his face back toward him.

                “If you’re worried about your Eros not being strong enough… we could always practice tonight, you know.”

                Yuri’s face turned a bright shade of red, but after a moment’s hesitation, he forced a shaky smile and nodded. “U-um, s-sure, why not? I-It might be nice, I mean- AH!” Yuri yelped as Victor dove at him, pushing him into the mattress, letting several files slide off to the floor.

                Yuri learned a lot about Eros that night.

*

                Seung Gil was not worried about being the first to skate in the short program. He felt completely confident with his routine, his colourful costume choice, and his skill level.

                He did wish his coach, Ji Su, would stop nagging him. He knew what he was doing, he didn’t need the pushy alpha woman to try and micromanage him. He didn’t need anything, except himself, to succeed.

                “Seung Gil, are you listening to me? Everything you do is for Pyeongchang. What you should be focused on right now is… Seung Gil!” Ji Su yelled in frustration as Seung Gil ignored her and skated toward his starting position. Ji Su should feel lucky he even consented to letting her coach him at all.

                He felt a small pain in his chest when he thought of his old omega coach, Mi Na, but she had gotten married after last year’s season and her alpha wanted her to be a stay at home mother. And she had just… agreed! Seung Gil had thought she had valued coaching more than that.

                But… he couldn’t think like that just then. He had to stay focused. With practiced ease, Seung Gil quieted his mind and concentrated on what he was about to do.

                The announcer’s voice was heard overhead.

                “ _Seung Gil Lee of Korea, omega, age twenty. In his first event, the NHK Trophy, he drove the crowd wild by skating to the music, ‘Almavivo’._ ”

                The music started, a mambo, as he had insisted on. He needed the factor of the unexpected. The first jump would be a quadruple loop, and Seung Gil knew he was the only one in the world to land that jump in competition.

                He succeeded, as expected.  The base value would be 12.0. He moved to the next step.

                “ _Seung Gil Lee’s theme this season is ‘greed’. He said he’d like to approach this season with a different masculine sex appeal than before. It would seem that this omega with a shocking quad loop under his belt is not satisfied just yet, and still wishes to break new ground. He personally requested to skate a mambo_.”

                Greed. Greed would help him win. Greed would give him the drive to snatch titles away from everyone else. But more than that, he remembered all those stupid alphas who treated him nicely until he told them he wanted to concentrate on his own skating career.

                They called him greedy. Greedy for wanting fame and glory in his own right. Greedy for choosing to avoid sex and marriage. Greedy for valuing his own success over potential future children. Greedy and selfish they would call him, when so many alphas and betas could choose to forgo such things in favor of their own pursuits and be accepted for it.

                Seung Gil would show them what his supposed greed would do. What it would get for him. He would-

                “ _A triple axel- oh, he fell!_ ”

                Seung Gil took a deep breath as he immediately rose back to his feet and continued as he calculated. He had enough rotations. The jump was in the second half of the routine, so I get a 1.1 multiplier, which means a 9.35 with a deduction of 1. Nothing too damaging.

                His triple Lutz and triple toe loop went fine. With a 1.1 multiplier, that got me 11.11 points. Next, the final element, a step sequence. That, he knew, would be perfect. He could do it in his sleep.

                As he danced on the ice, his face remained a stone. He refused to emote, even a little. He would not be seen as an emotional omega. He is in control. He is the master of himself. He would win because of himself.

                As he took his final pose, he wondered if Mi Na was watching this.

                His score, as he had already estimated with fair accuracy, was 91.83, a personal best for Seung Gil. That should be more than enough, in connection with his free skate, to get where he needed to be.

*

                “That’s a tough act to follow,” Emil with a low whistle as Seung Gil got off the ice. Sala was swooning nearby, clearly having gotten over the altercation with the Korean omega the night before.

                Mickey snorted at Emil’s words. “Yeah, right, like you’re ever nervous.”

                Emil smirked. “Never when you’re watching, Mickey.”

                “Eh?”

                As Emil’s coach hailed him, he sent a bright grin to his friends, waving. “Mickey! Sala! Let’s all go to Barcelona!”

                Mickey shook his head as Emil headed for the ice. “I know Emil can jump, but if his performance is lackluster…”

                “Good luck, Emil!” Sala cheered.

*

                In the green room, loud cheering could be heard from the rink. Yuri stood near Victor with headphones in his ears, keeping as calm as possible.

                That is, until a rather tall man in a red jacket got into Yuri’s line of vision. He said something, and Yuri took his earphone out. “Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch that?”

                The man smiled, and Yuri thought he seemed familiar… wasn’t he the Canadian skater? Yuri forgot his name, though.

                “Victor did the same jump at last year’s exhibition!” The man went on, turning to Victor now. “I want to see that again!”

                “I don’t recall,” Victor said with his ‘paparazzi’ smile. The man expressed his displeasure. Yuri was almost positive he was a beta… he probably would have guessed alpha if he wasn’t in this division though. He was kind of right in Victor’s face.

                Before Yuri could get annoyed by that, Victor had already vanished from sight. The Canadian skater looked confused at where he could have gone.

*

                With Emil’s performance finished, Mickey took to the ice, ignoring Emil’s calls for good luck as he kissed the back of his sister’s hand. He knew he must look gallant, dressed as a knight to protect his sweet omega sister’s virtue.

                “ _Next up is Michele Crispino of Italy. His sister, Sala, is also here for support. He will skate to ‘L’Homme Arme’ from the movie Destiny of Knights_.”

                Mickey heard his sister’s cheers above all others. He would show her true chivalry, she would be protected. As the music began, his first jump started strong with a triple axel. Perfect.

                When they had been young, Mickey’s parents had always stressed to him how important his sister was to the family. She was extremely pretty, and would have many suitors, and as their family didn’t have any alphas, it was his job to protect her from the world. So he had trained, and so far, he had managed to defeat every single suitor that tried to approach Sala. He had even gone into skating because Sala had, so he would have a reason to come support and protect her at every competition! He wanted to skate with Sala forever.  His sweet, brotherly love would take the back seat to no man!

                His quad Salchow now and… he fell.

                He couldn’t let that stop him, though! He couldn’t have Sala feel down because of him, not when her own short program was coming up! As her older brother, a beta man… only his love, the kind that doesn’t rely on physical love, could protect Sala as an Omega Lady! In this way, he truly was a knight!

                He completed a triple Lutz, triple loop combination, a surprise addition to the program. It had a high difficulty, only Sala attempts it in combination and surely upon seeing her brother complete it, surely Sala will be inspired to do the same! The rest of his routine was sure to go just as well, with the power of Sala’s love beside him!

*

                When Yuri was announced as the next skater, the entire audience began chanting Victor’s name. Although Victor was his coach, and a hero in Russia, Yuri couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Then he noticed Victor was smiling and waving at the crowd behind him and felt a stab of annoyance.

                Victor should be paying attention to Yuri, not the crowd! Yuri grabbed Victor’s tie and pulled him around to he could whisper in the suddenly flustered omega’s ear. “The performance has already begun, Victor.”

                “You’re right,” was the soft reply.

                “Don’t worry. I’ll show my love to the whole of Russia.” Yuri knew he heard excited whimpers as he pulled away and headed for the ice. That had been embarrassing. In any case, Yuri had to intimidate the crowd before they could intimidate him! Running on the heady feeling he usually got when he openly flirted with Victor now, he sent a kissy face to the judges. It definitely got some sort of response.

                “ _Japan’s Katsuki Yuri, beta, age 23. He’s skating to On Love: Eros. He’s been beating his short program personal bests since the first event in the series. He’ll need to finish fourth or higher to advance to the Grand Prix Final_.”

                Yuri took a deep breath and began to skate. He knew that, should he lose this competition, this would likely be the last time he would skate this program with Victor as his coach.

                It seemed like everyone wanted Victor to come back to the ice, so maybe everyone hoped he’d lose, so Victor would see sense and leave him. The thought ran chills up Yuri’s spine, but even so… only Yuri, and his performance here, would have the chance to change their minds.

                The first jump was to be a spread eagle into a triple axel. That one was easy for him. Then a quad Salchow, and his training had paid off as it too was flawless. When even the quad toe loop, triple toe loop combination went perfectly, Yuri began to realise that, somehow, his short program seemed to be approaching a final form.

                He wondered if Yurio was watching this too? Was he surprised by how far he had come since Hot Springs on Ice? Speaking of Yurio, Yuri remembered long ago it seemed now, Victor had said Yurio had been ready for the ‘next stage’ once he had perfected Agape. Yuri wondered if he was finally ready for his own ‘next stage’… or if maybe he had gotten there already without noticing?

                Yuri almost didn’t realise he had stopped skating until the roar of the crowd slammed into his ears and flowers started pelting the stage around him, along with some plush toys in the shape of sushi and other food. Yuri grabbed a rice ball plush before skating over to the kiss and cry, getting immediately engulfed in Victor’s arms, the omega nuzzling his neck and cooing enthusiastically.

                “Yuri! That was perfect!” Victor gushed, but then abruptly stopped speaking and pushed Yuri back slightly, looking over the beta’s shoulder. Yuri turned as well, and his jaw dropped to see Yurio, clad all in white and his hair loose around his face. His posture made him looked more an angel than he ever had at the Hot Springs… it was a palpable change.

                Yurio marched up to them and glared in the trademark Yurio way. “Out of my way, pig.”

                He walked by and the two parted for him, only to come back together and stare after the small beta.

                “Th-this is Yurio’s real agape?” Yuri stammered, then grinned widely. “That’s cool!”

                “Amazing!” Victor agreed, and the two held hands in excitement as they pranced over to the kiss and cry, talking rapidly about how far Yurio has come.

*

                Yurio stood by the side of the rink with Yakov and Lilia, waiting to be announced. He felt surprisingly queasy. He had thought his grandfather would going to watch him this time, that at last he would be able to perfect agape because of that… but it turned out his grandpa had planned on just watching from home. And now…

                “Yuri, no need to get tense just because it’s the Rostelecom Cup,” Yakov said sternly as Yurio felt beads of sweat gather on his forehead.

                Lilia nodded. “All the work you did in practice won’t betray you. Listen, have confidence in yourself.”

                But Yurio felt a tremor in his knees, he couldn’t hear very well. He told himself to calm down but…

                Suddenly, to Yurio’s shock, Lilia pulled him close and… gave him a hug? What?! It was so unexpected that Yurio ended up breathing in deeply and…

                Felt soothed, suddenly, immediately. Was that a perfume? It was strong but… Yurio relaxed. Lilia let him go and Yurio backed up slightly, feeling a touch dazed.

                “Do you feel better, Yuri?” Lilia asked as Yakov stared beside her. Yurio nodded, hesitantly… and then froze.

                “You did it, Yuri!”

                Yurio turned at the sound of his name… only to see Victor sitting in the kiss and cry with Yuri. Apparently the idiot had passed his personal best again and was in first place.

                … did Victor seriously just kiss Yuri’s skate?! What the hell!!

                Oh god, Yuri was looking at him now! “Yurio! Davai!”

                Yurio’s eye twitched.

                “Good luck, Yurio!” The two losers were WAVING AT HIM?!

                Yurio let out a loud growl and turned abruptly, skating back to the centre of the rink even as Lilia reached frantically for him again.

                Lilia grunted as she was left watching Yurio retreat from her. “So much for that.”

                “What was that about?!” Yakov asked, still looking confused as hell.

                “I… thought I would try something. Nevermind. Watch the boy skate.”

                Yurio took to the ice as he was announced, and waited for the music to start in gross irritation. He didn’t need those idiots cheering for him, he wasn’t that down on his luck!

                As he began to skate, Yurio suspected immediately that this would be far from his best performance. He was angry now, he wasn’t feeling agape at all!

                His suspicion was proved accurate when he tried his first jump, a triple axel, and fell. Damn it, how could he fall like some amateur?! He had never missed that triple axel once that year until then!

                As Yurio got up and moved into a flying sit spin, working to hold his position, Yurio groused in his head that he had been putting in everything he had to improve since Hot Springs on Ice. All he lacked was overall experience, he had everything else.

                Taking a breath, he decided to try and start fresh there. He cleared his mind enough to only think of his position and jumps, and from that point forward the rest of his routine was performed excellently. Even if he wasn’t at his best, he would make a strong comeback and succeed.

                Urgh, but damn it was a tough program to perform! When Yurio finally took his final pose, he was panting, and sweat covered his body. As the cheers broke out around him, numerous cat plush dolls littered the ice around him. As Yurio looked around for one to take back with him, he felt something defy the odds and land directly on his head.

                He reached up to feel as a legion of girls let out ear piercing shrieks of glee. They were cat ears. Damn it.

                As Yurio headed off the ice, he saw that moron JJ waiting to go on. The asshole had beat him out for gold at Skate Canada, and had been insufferable then. He was clapping as Yurio approached him, and then gestured for him to pass. “Omegas first, of course.”

                Yurio’s face lit up and had he been less exhausted he likely would have exploded at him for such a comment… although he knew he shouldn’t really see it as an insult, he knew that JJ did and… damn it, he had forgotten there was someone more annoying than those idiots!

*

                “ _The last competitor is the skater with the most momentum right now, Jean-Jacques Leroy of Canada, beta, age 19. He’s known as JJ. He will skate to an original song composed for him, ‘Theme of King JJ’_. “

                JJ grinned and waved happily at the audience, all now chanting his name. This was where he belonged, in front of an adoring crowd! And honestly, who else but him could have pulled off this dream collaboration with a world famous rock band? He was going to be the greatest ever, and all these lucky people were going to get to watch him do it!

                JJ’s jumps started straight away, and all of them had massive height! He lived for the loud appreciative cheers that would gain him, even if the point total wouldn’t gain too much from them.  

                One might expect a top skater to plan a lot of jumps in the second half of the program, but JJ valued the combination of skating and music! He would jump from the beginning, because the music demanded that he jump! It’s JJ style!

                As he moved into a spread eagle, he waved to the crowd, and practically glowed as they began to clap and sing along. Only right, as the song was about how JJ was heading for the top, and wanted all his fans to join him!

                His final jump, a quad Lutz, was perfect, and not even Nikiforov had tried that in the second half of a program in competition! No one took those kind of risks but JJ, and he succeeded because he was the king!

                He was going to win this season. He would take gold. He had to… it might end up being his last chance.

                JJ looked at his reflection in the ice. Chiseled jawline. Wide shoulders. His leg muscles felt so strong this year. He already looked so much more like how he had always seen himself than he had in years before. After this season, he would finally get his final surgery and change his information formally and… then the legal battles would start. But for now… he kissed his reflection before standing and making his famous hand gesture to the crowd.

                “It’s JJ Style!”

*

                “ _Oh, Yuri. Sorry to bother you during an event, but Maccachin stole some buns, and they got stuck in his throat. We’re at the vet right now, but we’re not sure he’ll make it_.” Mari cleared her throat, she sounded so upset. “ _Sorry, what do you want us to do?_ ”

                Yuri stared at the phone, heart pounding wildly in his chest. He remembered Viichan, and how devastated he had been when his dear friend had passed and he hadn’t even seen him in years…

                “Victor!” Yuri yelled, and Victor turned, surprised, from the person he was speaking with. In fact, many people standing around them in the room turned to look, but Yuri ignored them. “Victor, go back to Japan right now! I’ll face the free skate tomorrow on my own!”

                Victor blinked. “But… you… don’t want me here? Yuri, what’s wrong?”

                “It’s Maccachin!” Victor’s eyes widened, and he paled. “He… Mari said he choked on some buns, he’s at the vet… you need to be there with him!”

                Victor took a shaky breath. “I… I can’t do that Yuri. I can’t leave you here, this is important.

                “But you have to go back!”

                “Like I said, I can’t.” Victor turned away, feeling a deep sense of fear and hurt in his chest. He wanted to go to his poor dog, more than anything… but he had a duty to Yuri, he couldn’t leave him alone. If he had at least someone… oh!

                Victor felt a surge of relief when he saw Yakov walking past them, Lilia and Yurio in tow. Victor ran to him, putting his hands on his old coach’s shoulders. “Yakov! Thank God! You’re the only coach for me!”

                “What? You want to come back?” Yakov sounded smug, but Victor pressed on. There was no time to lose.

                “Can you be Yuri’s coach tomorrow, for just one day?”

                Everyone around let out varying notes of surprise, but as long as Yakov said one word of agreement, Victor would be on the next plane to Japan. Maccachin had been Victor’s constant companion for over a decade, to lose him without even saying goodbye would break his heart.

                Meanwhile, Yuri watched on, hoping Yakov agreed even as fear twisted in his chest. He knew it was the right thing to do, to send Victor to Japan to be with his dog, but even so… could Yuri handle skating without him?


	9. The Rostelecom Cup Free Skate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Victor gone, how can Yuri handle his free program, that the two had made together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where have I been?
> 
> Nowhere. Literally no excuse. Plenty of time to write. Didn't. Oh well.

**Episode 9: Rostelecom Free Skate**

                Back at the hotel, Yuri helped Victor to pack the rest of his things up so he could catch his flight. They exchanged only a few words, and Yuri could tell how worried Victor really was for Maccachin. Truthfully, Yuri had rather fallen in love with the dog as well during the short months they were together, and he felt rather ill himself to think of what the poor boy was going through, but Yuri had to stay. He had to skate to prove Victor’s merit as a coach, and Victor had to go be with his loved one in his time of need.

                In the lobby, Victor looked close to tears but you wouldn’t know it from his voice as he merely spoke with deep emotion. “Ask Yakov anything you don’t understand.” The omega pulled Yuri into a tight hug, and he felt like his heart itself was being crushed in the grip. “If you’re in trouble, just hug him, and he’ll help you.” Well, that was very omegan advice. Yuri doubted anyone but Victor could get away with randomly hugging people. “Sorry, Yuri. Even if I’m not here, I’ll always be with you in spirit.”

                And with that, Victor went back to Japan. Even with Victor’s assurance, Yuri wasn’t going to bother Victor’s old coach with questions, especially when they hadn’t even ever been formally introduced. He was just going to do what he did with Victor in practice and believe that was enough. Yuri had to move forward with his free skate alone.

*

                Yurio was surprised when Yakov told him, approximately an hour before the Free Skate, that his grandfather was waiting in the car for him outside. He hurried out to meet the old man, but once in the car he looked at the alpha with some worry.

                “Grandpa, I thought you weren’t feeling well, why are you here now?”

                “Just try these,” his grandfather grunted before pushing what appeared to be one of his usual pirozhkis into his hand. Shrugging, Yurio took a bite, then gasped. There was pork cutlet, eggs, and rice inside?

                His grandpa winked at him, looking incredibly pleased with himself. “It’s a pork cutlet bowl pirozhki!” He patted his grandson’s head. “Eat them, and do well in today’s free skate, Yuratchka.”

                “I… yeah, okay Grandpa.” Yurio nodded, smiling now. “You’re going to be proud of me.”

                Grandpa Plisetsky laughed. “I’m always proud of you, Yuri. I know you worry about that, since you never presented as an alpha like me, but believe me when I say I would and will always be proud of you.” Yurio’s breath hitched. “And do you know why, Yuratchka?”

                Yurio swallowed and shook his head minutely. His grandpa continued to smile.

                “Because you always do your best. That’s your real strength. So I want you to know that no matter what happens in the future, I will be as proud then as I am now.”

                Yurio paused as his eyes rapidly teared up, but managed to squint at his grandfather. “What are you saying? I have to go on soon, you know.”

                His grandpa laughed. “I’m sorry, Yuri! But have fun, alright?”

*

                “ _Group Two is finally about to start in the Beta/Omega Men’s Singles Free Skate. Each skater comes to this event with his own hopes and fears. This event will determine who advances to the Grand Prix Final. The first competitor, currently in sixth place, is the Czech Republic’s Emil Nekola, omega, age 18. He is skating to music from the movie Anastasis._ ” Emil stood posed in the centre of the rink, wearing a blue outfit that looked vaguely robotic. The music that started up had a pixelly, 8-bit feel to it, definitely electro-pop. “ _His theme is Cyberpunk: I’ve Ceased to be Human. Just as his theme suggests, he’s planning four quads, a superhuman feat, let alone for an omega. Even the great Victor Nikiforov never attempting something of this nature, definitely not so early in his career. It is truly a challenge to what we can expect from an omega skater. His first is a quadruple Salchow. Beautiful form! Next is a quad jump combination, truly this is something amazing, Nekola likely had to go through rigorous training to develop his leg muscles to be able to perform such jumps, although one must wonder if perhaps the natural omegan muscles required for childbearing are naturally inclined toward the potential for this development.”_

Mickey frowned at the announcer’s comments. He hoped he wouldn’t be commenting on his sister like that tomorrow or he’d have to watch his back. No one comments on Sala like that and gets away with it!

                “Mickey.”

                Mickey turned to his sister beside him. “Yes? You look seriously all of a sudden.”

                Sala took a deep breath. “I’ll take this opportunity to clarify something. I’m going to make it to the Grand Prix Final with or without your help, Mickey. So you need to win without my support, too.” Mickey looked about to say something, but Sala cut him off. “I’m not every woman in the world. I’m not every omega in the world. You need to get out more! Find someone special of your own! We won’t be together forever, you know!”

                Mickey’s expression trembled, and then he dove for his sister, hugging her around her waist as he pressing his head to her chest like a child. “I don’t need any other woman or omega but you, Sala. I was able to focus on skating and come this far because you were with me! Don’t leave me alone, please!”

                But Sala was having none of it. She grabbed Mickey’s chin and dragged it up to face her. “Become strong, Michele Crispino! I can skate without your love, AND I’ll start dating! I don’t need to rely on you to be strong, I am my own person! And so are you! So… I won’t be by the side of the rink today. You will be just fine!”

                With that, Sala fled, and Mickey was left staring at Emil jump perfectly over and over with a smile on his face. Was… was he why Sala was suddenly so adamant he move on? Does she like omega men, who are cute and full of cheer? Or maybe… maybe she liked Japanese betas, who looked like closet pervs? Does she not like Italian men, sour and bitter, even though she herself is Italian?

                Mickey blinked as Emil landed yet another quad. He can’t be human. No way could a human omegan man of eighteen jump like that. Oh, he fell on the combination though. As he spun and tried to recover, Mickey felt himself fall into a sort of fugue.

*

                Backstage, Yuri was watching other skaters warm up. He was trying to keep himself together, doing a few light stretches, but still couldn’t seem to get much focus. He noticed Yakov kept giving him glances from where he was with his ex-wife and Yurio, as if expecting Yuri to come and talk to him before going on, but Yuri still felt too shy to bother the old alpha and so he suffered quietly.

                “Damn it!” Yuri’s ears pricked and nose wrinkled as a distressed smell took the air. He looked over at Seung Gil, who was down at his black leggings… oh, oh he’d torn a hole in them. “Ji Su!” He looked around wildly, and Yuri saw his usually blank face was breaking into a sweat.

                Oh… he was actually nervous too, wasn’t he? Yuri actually smiled a little and approached. “Hey, there’s a few skaters between us, and we’re about the same size, you could borrow my leggings if you want, for your performance?”

                Seung Gil turned to him with wide eyes, then glared deeply. “I can take care of this! There’s thread in the car, if Ji Su would just come back already she could get it and I could fix it!” He worried his lip a little, and Yuri had to admit that the omega’s rage sort of reminded him a little of Yurio.

                So, Yuri pressed on like he would if Yurio had been the one protesting. “Are you sure? Because you’re up next, aren’t you? You might not have time to fix it otherwise. I really don’t mind lending them.”

                Seung Gil’s cheeks flared red, and he looked away, hands clenching and unclenching. “I bet you’d like that, huh? An omega wearing your pants. I’m not going to-“

                Yuri frowned. “Hey, Seung Gil, I don’t know what you’ve been through but… I really just want you to have a good Free Skate. My big sister is an omega, and so is my coach, Victor.” Seung Gil looked sharply back at him at the name drop. “I would offer, whether you were an omega or not, you know? It…” Yuri remembered Seung Gil’s words the day before by the elevators and tried to tailor his own words accordingly. “It’s okay to accept help, you know? Everyone does at some point, no matter what gender they are. Borrowing my leggings because yours tore won’t make you any lesser than me.”

                Seung Gil stared at Yuri with his jaw set, but… after scanning the room again for his coach, he sighed heavily and nodded. “Fine. Just. Just because Ji Su isn’t here and… and there isn’t really another choice.” He swallowed as Yuri grabbed the leggings he had been waiting to put on and handed them to Seung Gil, who wrinkled his nose but still put them on. They were just a little loose on him, since Yuri seemed to have bigger calves and thighs. Nothing detrimental though. Seung Gil looked at Yuri with a set expression.

                “Th-tha- er, I’m going,” he said quickly, before darting out to the rink to wait his turn. Yuri hoped he remembered to return them. As it was, this had given him enough distraction to not think about his… imminent failure…

                “HOW DID YOU DO THAT?”

                “Huh?” Yuri looked up, confused to see JJ looking down at him with a dumbfounded expression. “Do what?”

                “You got that Korean omega to talk to you!”

                “… Seung Gil? He’s talked to a few people-“

                “I thought he was going to tear you apart, but he took your clothes and everything!” JJ gave a low whistle and applauded for a few slow claps. “I’m impressed, you sure have a way with omegas!”

                Yuri blinked, shrugged, and slowly put in his headphones before turning his back on JJ. What a weird guy.

*

                High in the stands where Mickey most likely wouldn’t see, Sala was sitting next to Mila and Georgi from Russia. They were in different divisions, but Mila and Sala often found themselves at competitions together, and had developed a friendship.

                Still, Mila was surprised to see her. “Sala, you’re not rinkside to send Mickey to the ice today. Why’s that?”

                Sala sighed deeply and didn’t answer. Mila frowned.

                “ _We now have Italy’s Michele Crispino, beta, age twenty two. He finished the short program in fifth. Will he make a comeback in his free skate? He is skating to ‘Seranade for Two’.”_ The music was ringing and romantic, and Mickey’s costume was purple and sparkling like twilight.

                Sala looked at her brother with a worried expression. Even if she was sure Mickey could do this alone… she did shake him just before he performed. He might be feeling down now… she hoped it wouldn’t affect her performance.

                But as he made a three jump combo, quad, and a triple axel without breaking a sweat, Sala realised that his skating was mellower than usual, and it was working for him, very well. In fact, Sala couldn’t help but feel… a little offended that he was doing so well without her. But she would get over that quickly.

                “He’s like a completely different person. Did something happen?” Mila asked, her voice showing hints of concern.

                “Love.”

                “Eh?” Mila and Sala turned to see Georgi staring at Mickey with a wistful smile, a soft blush tinting his cheeks.

                “I can feel lost love in Michele’s skating.”

                “Ooookay,” Mila said, obviously not sure where that was coming from. Sala knew, though. She winced a bit as she looked back at Mickey. They had been inseparable as long as Sala could remember. Her brother always treated her like a princess he had to defend. Granted, the other kids used to pick on her, but… Sala knew there was something a little more to it, underneath. A silly childhood crush that should have ended long ago. She was going to end it, had to end it but… but that didn’t mean she felt good about breaking his heart like this. But this… this had to be the last time he skated for her. It would end, here.

                Sala didn’t realise she was crying until Mila asked if she was okay, but she couldn’t stop. She ended up running off, she had to collect herself, she didn’t want everyone to see her like this.

                When the scores came in, Mickey had beat his personal best score by almost twenty points. Sala managed a smile when she congratulated him. He was going to be fine, she knew it!

*

                As Mickey left the ice, Yurio spoke to Yakov.

                “Hey. I’m changing the jump composition. I’m reducing the number of jumps in the first half from four to two.

                “Six in the second half? Do you have a death wish!? Your body can’t handle that!”

                Yurio scowled. “I can’t win against JJ or Yuri otherwise. My body will handle it because it has to. Don’t try to stop me.”

*

                Seung Gil failed.

                He blamed the leggings, at first. They didn’t quite fit his form. They slowed him, somehow, or tripped him up. That’s what he told himself, anyway, after he fell on his first quad loop. But as even his subsequent jumps had shaky landings and his mental calculations confirmed before he had even finished that he would not make the podium.

                He barely sat in the kiss and cry before his coach’s nattering was too much, and he left before his score was even announced. He already knew how poorly he did. The Four Continents competition was coming, but… if he failed so badly here, how could he show his face there? And… and top of that, when he went home, his family would see that he failed. He would be just another weak omega with a hobby again. No one will take him seriously after this, his parents might make… might make him start considering his suitors seriously…

                And if he did agree and get married, then maybe he wouldn’t get to skate anymore and then…

                “Seung Gil?”

                Seung Gil stopped, turning to see Yuri Katsuki standing by the wall as he was striding past. Seung Gil hurried to wipe the tears from his eyes. “What… what do you want?”

                “I-“

                “Oh, you’re stupid leggings… here,” Seung Gil threw the leggings at Yuri. He had changed the second he had gotten out of the arena.

                “Er, thanks!” Yuri said quickly, then swallowed. “You know… you were really good out there. I wish I could recovered from a fall like that.”

                Seung Gil laughed humourlessly. “I barely recovered, it messed with the rest of my routine.”

                “That’s not true! You were really great!” Yuri insisted, “And… and I know you’ll do great at the Four Continents, and next year-“

                “And if there’s not a next year?” Seung Gil asked coldly. “You don’t understand, you’re a beta, you don’t have to worry about marriage proposals or suitors trying to get you to give up what you love, just to be… to be some house omega for the rest of your life!”

                Yuri blinked. “But… you don’t have to get married, if you don’t want to… do you?”

                Seung Gil grunted and looked away. “My parents will want me to. I failed. If I can’t skate with the best, I should give up. South Korea is different than Japan. I had to beg and prove myself to be allowed to postpone marriage at all, and now…”

                Yuri frowned and shifted his weight a little. “I… don’t know exactly what to say but… if this is really your last season… it was an honor to skate with you.” Yuri gave a short bow. Seung Gil stared at him. “Er, anyway, I’d better get to the rink, I’m next up so…” Yuri gave Seung Gil a shaky smile, and Seung Gil noticed that his face was covered in sweat. He seemed pretty nervous. What the hell was he doing trying to comfort him? Stupid… stupid beta.

                Seung Gil had been heading for the parking garage, but after a moment’s hesitation, he went back toward the rink. It wouldn’t hurt to see the competition, should he find himself competing next year after all.

*

                _“Here on his home turf, we have Yuri Plisetsky, beta, age 15, in third place after the short program. Just listen to those cheers!”_

                Indeed, as Yurio took to the ice with a black costume that looked like it was bathed in jagged flames, the crowd roared its appreciation for the young, but exceptionally talented skater.

                Yurio was determined that he was to win the first gold of his senior debut here, at the Rostelecom Cup! He began Lilia’s EXTREMELY complicated routine as the announcer gushed about his music choice and his current standings. But Yurio was barely hearing anything except the beating of his own heart the faint tones of the pulse-pounding music around him. His first quad… successful. His triple axel was landed, but he didn’t even have time to think about how well they did as he had to make sure every movement was perfect, both to avoid a lecture from Lilia, and for his own need to be the best.

                By the time his impossibly fast step sequence was finished, Yurio was already exhausted, but he had to go on. If he didn’t… what good was he? How could he hold himself at the senior level if he couldn’t do a routine comparable to JJ’s or… or… argh, it was time for the second-half jumps!

                Triple Lutz. Triple Flip. If Yurio was to compete with JJ and Yuri, he couldn’t have a single mistake. Their base technical scores were both above his.

                Quad toe loop. Another step sequence. He wouldn’t lose like last time. He had gotten such a high short program score, and his free skate was superb, but JJ’s technical score had surpassed his and knocked him off the top! And… and JJ had… god, why did JJ have to keep calling him an omega?! He didn’t want that to embarrass him but… ARGH! THAT SHITHEAD!

                His quad Salchow and triple toe loop combo. Then a triple loop, double toe loop. Then the last combo, a triple axel, single loop, triple Salchow. Good, he got them all, at least. He hoped his body stayed in position. He slid into his final position and shook on his skates, collapsing when the last notes died off. His body was soaked with sweat, his face as red as the flames on his costume as he panted. He knew without a doubt that his body would be aching for days. He hoped it was worth it.

                He looked to his coaches to see Lilia was crying as Yakov patted her back. … well, he definitely hadn’t done BADLY enough to warrant tears, so it was probably good then. Phht, omegas were weird.

                In the kiss and cry, Yurio stared straight ahead as he found he had scored a massive 199.87. a personal best, rocketing him into first place.

                Lilia leaned in on his right to whisper to him. “That was excellent, Yurio. Truly beautiful.”

                Yurio broke into a huge grin. He had a secured place in the Final, and he had made Lilia proud. He ran to the end of the rink to scream at Yuri as he took the ice.

                “HOW’D YOU LIKE MY FREE SKATE, KATSUDON?!”

*

                Yuri felt sick. His vision was blurring. Well, given he didn’t wear glasses on the ice it always blurred but it was worse than usual. He could barely hear his introduction on the loudspeaker, everything was muffled. It was all he could do to start moving when the music began to play. He knew if he failed in this moment, it was all over. He would have failed as a figure skater, a waste of Victor’s talents. Everyone would blame Victor’s gender as the reason he couldn’t teach Yuri… if Yuri wanted to prove them wrong, he had to win.

                First jump was a quad toe loop… he popped the landed. Yuri felt a cold sweat break over his spine and a hollow feeling fill his heart. In a spat of dizziness, his second jump, planned as a triple, became a single. Crap… he had to calm down. He had to! How could he recover from that?

                The image of Victor’s smiling face at practice filled his mind. Until Victor came into his life, he would never say to anyone that he planned to win gold… but…

                He slipped on the landing of the next jump and fell. He hoped he’d at least had enough rotations.

                Honestly, though he hadn’t said it out loud, even the year before he had wanted to win gold at the Final. But he was only able to come so far this time because of Victor, Victor’s belief in him. If he were to not even make the Final this year… the belief would be misplaced. Victor would leave…

                The tearing Yuri felt in his heart made him flounder mid-air and he landed his triple loop with two feet.

                He had to stop _thinking…_

*

                Yurio was getting very frustrated watching Yuri screw up so badly on the ice. He was on his feet by the rinkside, Yakov and Lilia behind him but forgotten, as Yurio clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

                “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IDIOT KATSUDON?!”

                But Yuri was still shaking on the ice. Yurio leaned forward, full of white hot rage. “ **YOU IDIOT**! HANG IN THERE!”

                Yurio stood upright abruptly as he heard a whistle next to him. He whipped his head around with flashing eyes to see JJ of all people smirking at him. Speaking of idiots…

                “Yuri!” JJ said with his smirk widening to an infuriating grin. “All supportive now that you’ve clinched your spot in the Final, eh? Cheer for me, too, will you? I always welcome pretty omega fans!”

                Yurio looked ready to start screaming when Lilia put a hand on his shoulder, and a wave of pheromones washed over him. His eyes drooped slightly as he looked up at her, suddenly feeling his fatigue again.

                “Yuri, let’s go,” Lilia said in a level voice as she steered him away from the rink.

*

                Yuri could not stop thinking, so he tried to think of something different. Yurio looked ready to drop on his last jump combination, Yuri KNEW he had more stamina than Yurio, he couldn’t stop now.

                His triple axel went perfectly.

                Whether Victor was with Yuri or not, this routine would be the same difficulty either way.

                Triple flip, flawless.

                Yuri just had to keep it simple. He was the only one who could skate this program with appeal.

                Three jump combo followed by a two jump combo… he did them all. He felt less sick now, too.

                Yuri loved this program he made with Victor. He loved it, and he wasn’t finished skating it yet. He wouldn’t be finished until he achieved a gold medal with Victor by his side!

                His step sequence happened without Yuri noticing, each movement drilled into his head from hours of repetition, and he was really getting into the flow. But with all the emotional baggage he brought with him onto the ice, he was starting to tire before he normally did, and he stumbled at the end of the jumps. Still, the final spin and movements were finished and… it was over.

                As the crowd cheered, Yuri still could barely hear them as he sank down and laid himself on the ice to die. That was, without a doubt, the toughest program he’d done so far. Now that it was over, he felt awash with relief, though something was missing…

*

                When Yuri finally made his way to the kiss and cry, he felt a sense of confusion when he actually saw Yakov there waiting for him. Since he hadn’t approached Yakov since Victor asked him to be a fill in coach, and Yakov hadn’t tried to approach him either, Yuri didn’t quite expect him to be there and as he sat nervously beside him he didn’t really know what to expect.

                Yuri turned when he heard Yakov make a grunt. As soon as the two made eye contact, Yakov went off.

                “Hey. You totally failed to take advantage of the program Vitya made for you!” Vitya… was that a pet name? “Why didn’t you practice for the possibility that you might flub a jump? Victor never did, either. I guess he never learned differently as coach. I guess it’s fine that he expects perfection every time from himself, but to put that pressure on a more amateur skater who isn’t asking for it is ridiculous! Victor never thinks of other people… but anyway, you clearly need to focus more on your landings, do you even-“

                Yuri blinked. So this is why Victor gave him a lecture at the kiss and cry. He must assume this was a normal thing for a coach to do. It was kind of nice, to have the familiarity, actually.

                The announcer began speaking again. “ _We have Katsuki Yuri’s scores. His free skate score is 172.87. His total score is 282.84. He’s currently in third place. He may yet advance to the Grand Prix Final, but we won’t know until the end._ ”

                Yakov looked surprised. “Huh. That’s a higher score than I expected.” He glanced at Yuri and a strange look passed over his face. “What’s wrong? Uh…” Yakov felt a slight flush tint his cheeks as Yuri leaned in and gave him a hug around the shoulders.

                Yuri squeezed and whispered ‘thank you’ in Russian. Yakov patted the beta boy’s back awkwardly as Yuri thought with heavy certainty that Victor would be going back to Russia soon.

*

                As JJ took to the ice, Yuri went to the green room where, to his dulled surprise, Seung Gil appeared to be waiting for him. No one else was around either.

                “Katsuki.” Yuri looked at Seung Gil blankly. The omega swallowed visibly. “I… didn’t thank you properly. For the leggings. So… thank you.”

                “Oh, er, it wasn’t any trouble.”

                Seung Gil squinted at him. “You… are you bonded with Victor?”

                Yuri was startled. “Huh? No, no, he’s just-“

                “But you’re dating him?”             

                Yuri blinked slowly as a blush rose to his cheeks. “I-I…”

                Seung Gil, shockingly, also seemed to turn a bit pink in the face. “Well… he’s lucky to have a partner that would mess up so badly just cause he’s not around, I guess.”

                Yuri could do nothing but stare as Seung Gil turned on his heel and marched away.

*

                Yuri stood to one side, watching JJ, Yurio, and Michele ascend the podium. Yuri had managed to make fourth place, and with both competition scores, he and Michele had the same score. That meant, since Michele’s highest medal earned was a bronze, and Yuri’s highest medal was a silver in the Cup of China, Yuri had just squeaked his way into the Final.

                The final six would be Yuri, Yurio, JJ, Chris, that guy Otabek, and Phichit. Well, at least Yuri would have a friend at the final.

                But Yuri wasn’t focused on that. As soon as it fully hit him that he made the Final, he found himself unable to think of anything else. He wandered the hallways of the arena in a daze.

                “Yuri! Congrats on qualifying for the Grand Prix Final! I knew you’d make it.”

                Yuri registered that Sala Crispino, the pretty female omega skater he had met a few times before, was speaking to him. Without thinking, Yuri leaned in and hugged her tightly. “Thanks.” She smelled good. Her scent was a little bit like Victor’s… but not right.

                “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” There was a yell beside them. Yuri turned slightly to see Michele, the skater who took third. Did he want a hug too? Yuri grabbed him next, barely registering his screams of confusion. Michele smelled nothing like Victor.

                “Was that Mickey screaming?” A cheerful voice sounded over Yuri’s shoulder and the tone reminded him a bit of Victor. Yuri released Michele and hugged the newcomer, vaguely registering it as fellow skater Emil, who actually hugged him back. It was nice. “What’s this? A hugging competition?” he smelled… quite a lot like Victor, actually. And was about the right height. But then Emil let him go and Yuri thought only that Victor never stops hugging so soon. Yuri’s dark eyes searched for another target. There was Seung Gil. He had smelled faintly like Victor.

                “Katsuki? What-“ Seung Gil’s jaw snapped shut as he was engulphed in a hug. Later, Yuri would reflect that he looked like his spirit had fled his body as Yuri pulled away and grabbed JJ next, who looked just as startled if less disturbed.

                Yurio passed by then. “Huh? Katsudon, what are you- HEY!” Yurio started to run as Yuri turned to him and began to pursue, “STAY AWAY FROM ME!”

                Yuri thought Yurio smelled kind of weird compared to everyone else, but as Yurio escaped out a door, the cool air from outside cleared Yuri’s head and the beta wandered into the cold, deciding that this was clearly the most embarrassing thing he had ever done in front of his fellow skaters.

                Deciding the cold air was good for him right then, Yuri decided to walk back to the hotel. As he crossed a bridge, he stopped to admire the view, and to think. Here he was, almost at the peak of his competitive figure skating career. He… he really wanted the gold. This Final would be his last chance, and even if he didn’t win gold…

                After this Final, he was done. He would have Victor step down as his coach, and then Victor could return to the ice where everyone knew he belonged. He- AH!

                Yuri, out of nowhere, was kicked to the ground. Looking up with wide eyes, Yuri saw that Yurio was standing over him.

                “There you are, Katsodon. You made me look for you.” The teenager grumbled as he looked at Yuri with his trademark disgusted look.

                “Oh, Yurio…” Yuri, upon realizing he wasn’t being mugged, felt a stirring of happiness to see the kid he was starting to think of as a friend… even if the Russian boy didn’t have quite the same feeling.

                Yurio saw Yuri’s soft smile and flushed with annoyance. “What was that earlier? Stop creeping me out! And what was that free skate, anyway? You can make the excuse that you couldn’t do your best because Victor wasn’t there, but I was in top form and earned a new personal best, only to lose to JJ again! You have no right to feel more down than me, Katsudon!” Then, Yurio threw a bag into Yuri’s lap. “You can have it. It’s almost your birthday, right?”

                Deciding not to comment on why Yurio knew when Yuri’s birthday was, Yuri opened the bag. “Pirozhki?”

                “Eat.”

                “What? Here on the ground?”

                “EAT!”

                Clearly Yurio was not in the mood for an argument, so Yuri shrugged and took a bite. “There’s rice in this… Pork cutlet and egg, too. It’s a pork cutlet bowl!” Yuri looked up and, in a twist no one could have expected, Yurio was actually smiling down at him with pride and happiness the likes of which Yuri had never seen on the kid’s face. It was actually rather adorable, though Yuri knew better than to voice such a thought aloud.

                “Yes!” Yurio said, still grinning, “My grandpa made them himself! Aren’t they great?”

                Yuri grinned back. “Yeah! They’re vskuno!”

                Yurio’s face turned red very suddenly and he quickly ducked his head and took a step backwards. Moment over, Yuri supposed. “Well, anyway, you better do better in the Final, or I’m kicking your ass, you got it?”

                Yuri stared as Yurio turned to start walking away. “… thank you, Yurio,” Yuri said as Yurio raised a hand to wave without turning around. Yuri couldn’t help but think he was a cute little beta. Even if he did sort of smell weird. He should probably shower if his performance made him sweat that much.

*

                Taking the plane back alone was somehow more exhausting than when Victor was yammering in his ear the whole way, or using him as an uncomfortable pillow. All Yuri could think of what he wanted to say to his coach when he saw him. There was so much he wanted to tell him, what would he say first?

                Yuri approached the building where people were waiting for disembarking passengers, searching through the windows for a familiar head of white blond hair. The first thing he saw though was an equally familiar brown poodle that looked very much alive and well as it ran to the glass and jumped up, barking as he seemed to recognise Yuri. Yuri waved at Maccachin before looking up and felt a lump rise in his throat to see Victor looking at him, chewing on his lip. Yuri turned to start heading for the door, and saw Victor doing the same. The two kept eye contact as they broke into a run, and waiting awkwardly for the door to open for them.

                Yuri ran straight into Victor’s arms, breathing his scent in deeply, and feeling a sense of calm unlike any other. He nuzzled into Victor’s neck as Victor spoke to him.

                “Yuri… I’ve been thinking about what I can do as your coach from now on.”

“Me, too.” Yuri pushed Victor back to look in his eyes. “Please be my coach until I retire!”

                Victor’s eyes glistened as he smiled, taking Yuri’s hand and raised it to his mouth to kiss it gently. “You make that sound almost like a marriage proposal.” Yuri had visions of chiming bells, and flowers, and swirling red robes, and nearly moaned as he pushed himself into Victor’s arms again. “I wish you’d never retire.” Victor whispered.

Yuri sobbed quietly, but managed to say, “Let’s win gold together at the Grand Prix Final.”


	10. Barcelona

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sight seeing and mysterious middle eastern hotties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm phoning it in at this point but I just need to prove to myself I can finish something right now.

**Episode 10: Barcelona**

                Vacations are important. They let you be yourself, away from the strains and trials of everyday life. When Victor Nikiforov takes a break from skating, he often thinks of the things that he has been neglecting for nearly twenty years: life, and love. It made sense, to be the best at a sport such as figure skating, you truly do have to sell your soul to the ice. For Victor, until recently, he had begun to feel the emptiness of his life weighing down on him once he had reached the top.

                Victor lay in the outdoor pool on the roof of his hotel in Barcelona. He sneezed. Which should have been expected, since it was, after all, December, and even in Spain December nights aren’t really considered swimming weather.

                Strangely, he was not the only one at the hotel ready to risk illness to take a dip. Dressed glamorously in a plush hotel bathrobe and sunglasses (odd as it was nighttime), was Christophe, striding confidentially across the roof. He had a bottle of wine in one hand, his phone in the other, and when he saw Victor already in the pool a smile tugged at his lips.

                “I thought, other than me, only a Russian would be stupid enough to get in the pool this time of year. Guess I was right, hmm?”

                “Chris!” Victor said happily, waving to his friend. Chris chuckled.

                “Hi, Coach Victor! And here I was hoping to go skinny dipping.” Chris pouted, but Victor just shrugged.

                “Don’t let me stop you. I’ll even take photos for you. I doubt anyone could object, just two omegas relaxing together.” He smiled. Chris grinned back.

                 The two were not on vacation really, of course. They were in Barcelona, Spain, for the Grand Prix Figure Skating Finals. Christophe was representing Switzerland, a top contender. Victor, though he represented Russia for many years, was now coach to Japanese figure skater, and his young lover, Yuri Katsuki. Chris hummed to himself as he looked at some of the photos Victor took of him wearing his favourite black speedo.

                “Since you left, I’m one of the oldest… and I’m only 25.” Chris shook his head. “The career of a skater sure is short. We omegas… we peak late, and get a few more years than the betas and alphas do… but even we are finished by twenty-nine. And what then? Settle down? Have children, raise them? Coach? It all seems so mundane, but wat other skills do we have?”

                Victor frowned as he looked at his friend, who had always been anything but mundane. When Victor had first met Chris at the European Championships, he had been a wide-eyed innocent boy. But since then, they had shared the podium many times. Victor couldn’t imagine skating without him, and he imagined that Chris was having trouble adjusting to skating without Victor to compete against. Not that he was really worried about Chris’s performance, but by his words, it was pretty clear that Victor’s possible full retirement from competitive skating was making his long-time rival also think of the future inevitable to all figure skaters. The future where the question of ‘what next?’ becomes a lot scarier than just trying to come up with fresh routines to surprise the audience.

                Victor was already starting to answer that question for himself, but so much was still uncertain, when his prospective partner had such trouble communicating with him honestly.

*

                Yuri Plisetsky was jet lagged as hell and cranky as he rubbed his eyes in the hotel lobby, a few hours before Victor’s swim on the roof.

                “Yuri! At least check yourself into the hotel!” Yakov nagged, but Yurio rolled his eyes.

                “You do it, Yakov. I’m tired.” Yurio turned suddenly as a screech rang out over the lobby. He saw to his horror a bunch of girls in cat ears, holding signs bearing Yurio’s name, and looking seconds from rushing him as they began screaming for autographs and photos.

                Yurio’s eye twitched and he grit his teeth. “You ug-“

                “Yuri Plisetsky, don’t use unattractive words.” Lilia said sharply from beside Yakov. Yurio grimaced, but endured the ensuing barrage of selfies with his adoring fans, whom the media had affectionately dubbed ‘Yuri’s Angels’. Yakov, once again, had no idea how Lilia was able to exercise such effortless control over the boy that never listened to a word Yakov said.

                Just happening to walk by at that moment was JJ and his fiancée, Isabella. Isabella’s eyes widened at Yurio’s collection of fangirls fawning over him.

                “Wow, he’s popular, isn’t he?” Isabella said loudly, tugging on JJ’s arm.

                JJ nodded, smiling widely. “Yep! Yuri’s Angels are famous!”

                Isabella huffed, but smirked. “Huh? But JJ Girls are better about following the rules, plus we’re cuter.” She winked. Yurio, overhearing this, flushed red and turned to Isabella with anger in his eyes.

                “Don’t diss my fans and call them ugly, you ugly-ass bitch!” Yurio fumed.

                Isabella sniffled dramatically and shrank behind her boyfriend. “So scary. Help, JJ.”

                JJ laughed. “Oh, he’s just jealous because my fiancée is so beautiful. What omega boy wouldn’t want such a gorgeous alpha woman to adore them?”

                “OMEGA?!”

                JJ blinked in shock as Yuri’s Angels began to rage.

                “Everyone knows that Yuratcha is a beta skater, despite his omegan good looks!”

                “He will only be slight for a short time, we need to savour him now before he grows up into a mature heartthrob as we know he will!”

                JJ stared at them. “Yurio… is… a beta?” His eyes widened.

                Isabella looked at JJ with disbelief. “Honey, even I knew that, do you not read the program, or listen to the announcer at all?”

                “I…” JJ’s face reddened as Yurio gaped at him, speechless for a moment.

                It wasn’t a long moment. “WHAT! YOU SERIOUSLY DIDN’T KNOW I WAS A BETA?! THE ANNOUNCER LITERALLY LISTS A SKATER’S GENDER AS PART OF THEIR INTRODUCTION, JACKASS! I ASSUMED YOU WERE BEING INTENTIONALLY INSULTING THIS WHOLE TIME, BUT I GUESS YOU’RE JUST A FREAKING IDIOT! Not that I should be surprised, since any guy who wears sunglasses on his head is scum! Find someone better, ugly-ass bitch!”

                Isabella shivered. “Scary… how could you think such a scary boy is a sweet omega, JJ?”

                JJ still looked frazzled by this sudden revelation. “I… well… uh,” he looked up suddenly and waved. “Oh, it’s Otabek! Hey Otabek, where are you going?”

                Yurio turned to follow JJ’s line of sight, stopping dead on the eighteen year old beta skater from Kazakhstan, who… looked… cool… well, his jacket was just… nice. And his… hair was… shaved on the sides and… he was wearing sunglasses…

                Otabek lowered his shades to look at JJ was a blank, aloof sort of expression. “Out to eat.”

                _‘So cool…’_ Yurio thought numbly as he fought to remember how to rant.

                “Eating alone?” JJ laughed brashly. “You’re still an odd one, huh? Want to join us for dinner?”

                “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”  

                When Otabek’s eyes shifted onto Yurio’s, he held his gaze just a little too long and Yurio found his voice again. “What’s with you, asshole?” Yurio snapped, only to have Otabek turn without a word and walk away.

                There is a possibility that this sort of attitude was why Yurio had trouble making friends.

*

                Yuri Katsuki suffered severe jet lag when they reached Barcelona, and so he had been napping during most of Victor’s time in the pool with Chris. When he first woke up, his first thought was, “Where’s Victor?” as he scanned his own empty bed, then the empty bed next to it. Knowing what a social media whore his coach/lover was, Yuri turned on his phone to check Instagram.

                Sure enough, there were plenty of recent photos of Victor and Chris in a pool striking sexy poses. He was alright then. Oh, and Phichit was sightseeing. That was nice. Yuri turned off his phone’s screen and fell back against the pillows again. Suddenly, without warning, he was struck by a bout of heavy dread and anxiety over the fact that he was about to compete in the GPF again after failing last year and his WHOLE FAMILY and WHOLE COUNTRY and VICTOR were ALL counting on him to win and frankly that was extremely terrifying. Yuri screamed quietly into a pillow and wished Victor was there to help him through this.

                Suddenly, the door was kicked in and the light flipped on. “YURI! I’m freezing! Draw a hot bath for me, please?” Victor was back already?

                “And can you make some coffee, too?” Chris was here, too?!

                “Huh, what?” Yuri tried to shake himself more awake as Victor pouted.

                “You were still asleep? You look so cozy! Let us warm up with you, Yuri!” Victor said happily, and Yuri squealed as both omega men jumped into his bed, crushing Yuri under their weight.

                “WHOA! Get out! You’re both freezing! Stop clinging to me, both of you! AH!” Yuri struggled, but soon resigned himself to his fate of warming up these two block headed ice cubes. “Can you at least ease up on my chest? It’s hard to breathe.”

                The two did consent to that, at least, snuggling in on either side of Yuri and Chris pulled the blanket up over all of them.

                “Nothing like a warm nap after a cool dip!” Chris said happily as he shoved his freezing toes under Yuri’s shins. The beta shivered and groaned. “Oh-ho! Looks like the little beta is getting aroused by having two studly omegas in his bed!”

                “What!” Yuri yelped, scooter closer to Victor to get away from Chris’s toes, “No, you’re just cold, and I’m not even tired anymore, I literally just woke up!”

                “Hmm, do you want to do something else then, Yuri?” Victor asked with a teasing smile, tracing Yuri’s stomach with a finger. Yuri blushed.

                “N-not with Chris here…”

                “I don’t mind,” Victor continued to smile.

                “I don’t either!”

                “WELL I DO!” Yuri squealed and managed to at last squirm up enough to clumsily climb out of the grasp of the two omegas, leaping with the grace of his chosen profession off the bed and onto the floor, running into the kitchenette. “You said you wanted coffee? I can make coffee!”

                “Oh dear, he’s awfully bashful, isn’t he?” Chris said thoughtfully. “Not the type I would have pinned you down for, but the heart wants what the heart wants, I suppose.”

                “Yes,” Victor said, a fond look in his eyes as he looked at Yuri’s retreating back, “Yes it certainly does.”

*

                After group practice the next day, the day before the Finals were to begin, Yuri surprised Victor as he had done since the moment they met. Victor had suggested that to wind down before the competition, Yuri should go back to the hotel to rest up and get a good sleep before the short program.

                Yuri had balked at the suggestion, instead insisting that it was his first time in Barcelona, so Victor ought to take him sightseeing. And well, with such a cute pout on his face, how could Victor refuse him?

                So the two took to the city streets, taking tons of selfies for Victor’s Instagram, ate delicious food at a cute roadside café, and bought enough stuff at the markets that both men soon had their arms laden with bags.

                After walking for a while, Victor perked up with a thought.

                “Yuri, let me buy you a new suit, as a present to show how proud I am for you having come so far!”

                “Oh? You don’t need to do that…”

                “And then when we go back to Japan we can burn your old suit you wore at the press conference! It was sooooo tacky, Yuri!”

                “Eh?! But, I kind of like that suit… WAIT VICTOR SLOW DOWN!” Yuri yelped as Victor grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street at a run, apparently knowing exactly where he was going. Sure enough, when he finally stopped it was in front of a small tailor shop on a little side street, clearly only visited by those in the know of where to go. Yuri wasn’t sure he felt comfortable going into such a swanky looking store, but Victor pulled him inside anyway. Luckily, the place looked devoid of other customers.

                When they entered, the heavy-set man with a dark, well-trimmed beard and hair behind the counter did a double take at Victor, but then smiled brightly, addressing him in perfect English, which both Victor and Yuri were fluent in (in fact they mainly spoke to each other in English, though Victor knew a fair bit of Japanese now.)

                “Ah! Mr. Nikiforov, I haven’t seen you in person in nearly three years! But I’ve seen you on television frequently, this must be your protégé, Mr. Yuri Katsuki?”

                “I… yes, that’s me,” Yuri nodded along as Victor warmly spoke a greeting to the man, whom he identified as Mr. Antonio Garcia.

                “He is one of the best tailors in the world, in my opinion at least,” Victor grinned.

                “And you have excellent taste, sir!” Mr. Garcia laughed a deep, belly-laugh as he leaned forward and gave Victor a familiar hug. As he leaned closer, Yuri could smell some sort of perfume clinging to the air around him, citrusy and fresh. It was actually very nice, clearly Mr. Garcia was a man of taste as well. But… Yuri frowned slightly. He was one of those people where you would likely never be able to pin down his gender unless he told you. He was a bit too short for an alpha, a bit too much facial hair for an omega, and yet… beta didn’t seem to suit him.

                “So, are you here to buy another Garcia original? Unless you’ve put on some pounds since your retirement, I’m sure you could have called it in, your measurements are still on file you know.”

                “I’m not retired, and the suit is for my student,” Victor said a little tersely, and Mr. Garcia immediately fell into an apologetic smile.

                “Ah, of course, I’m sorry for making assumptions.” Mr. Garcia nodded, “I’ll look forward to seeing you on the ice in coming seasons! Now then, Mr. Katsuki, have you been measured for a suit before?”

                “I, er, n-no I haven’t…” Yuri squirmed under the man’s suddenly intense, appraising look.

                “I’m thinking… something in dark blue, to bring out the eyes more. What do you think, Mr. Nikiforov?”

                “Antonio, you know I trust your judgement, do what you feel is necessary.”

                “And will this be going your account, or should I create another for Mr. Katsuki?”

                “My account will be fine.”

                Mr. Garcia led Yuri into the back and brought out a tape measure, and Yuri fought back giggles at the intensive measuring procedure. When the man stepped back to go and fetch some fabrics to choose from, Victor sidled up beside Yuri and put an arm casually around his back.

                “Mr. Garcia seems nice, have you know each other long?” Yuri asked politely.

                “Mm, yes, about… seven years now.”

                “Wow, that’s a long time!” Yuri marvelled. “So, uh, is he… you know… a… beta? Or…”

                Victor sighed and shook his head. “Yuri, Yuri, Yuri, Antonio is beyond such things!”

                “Uh, beyond?”

                Victor chuckled. “Well, to be honest, I have no idea which he is biologically, but he has always said he doesn’t abide by the complications of secondary gender divisions. He says he is a man, and that’s all. A bit eccentric maybe but… it’s partly why I go back to him again and again over seven years. I know that, here at least, I will never face discrimination.”

                Yuri looked up to see Victor’s pained expression and leaned a little further into his side to encourage comfort. Victor let out a slow breath.

                “I’m glad. That you have someone you trust to go to, I mean,” Yuri said with a soft smile, which Victor returned as Mr. Garcia came back into the room laden with armfuls of different fabric options. He looked from one to the other and then beamed.

                “Oh! I did hear the rumors and I know someone said they were confirmed but I hadn’t checked into it, so you have finally found someone worthy of sharing your life with you, Mr. Nikiforov?”

                Victor hugged Yuri closer as the beta blushed. “Yes. I guess I have.” He looked down at Yuri, but the beta man was now staring off into space nibbling his lip as he had clearly fallen into thought. Well, he was going to be quiet for a while now, if Victor had learned anything about him in the past eight months.

*

                Elsewhere in Barcelona, Yurio was so far successfully staying one step ahead of his crazy stalking fangirls. And crazy was not an exaggeration. Yurio had seen one sniffing the ground, claiming they could smell him, and another clutching a hair claiming it was his and proof of his presence. Yurio was a beta! His scent is, by definition, practically non-existent. Urg, he had ducked into a side street, but they were closing in. Why couldn’t he just enjoy the city without groupies? How would he get himself out of this? If he was an omega, or beta woman, he could hope for some prince on a valiant stead he supposed… Argh, what was he thinking of now? He spent WAY too much time with those two idiots, their stupid romantic thoughts were rubbing off on him. It’d be just like Victor to swoon over the idea of Katsudon coming after him on a white horse with-

                Why was a motocycle pulling up next to him?

                “Yuri, get on.” It was… Otabek?! WTF.

                “Huh? Why would I do that?” Yurio fumbled catching the helmet Otabek tossed his way

                “THERE’S YURATCHKA!” Yurio felt chills run up his spine. “Huh, no way!” His fangirls. “Hey, isn’t that Otabek Altin from Kazakhstan?” They were spotted.

                “Are you coming or not?” Otabek said and Yurio made the split second decision to jump on the bike, slamming on the helmet as Otabek revved up and zoomed off in the opposite direction from the fangirls who were fumbling with phones and cameras to get pictures of their retreating forms. That would be all over Instagram in about twenty seconds.

                Otabek finally stopped his whirlwind, unexpected, but very cool ride through the city at the back garden of an out of the way building. Yurio whipped off his helmet as soon as the bike stopped.

                “So what’s the big idea, kidnapping me like that?! You know, I haven’t talked to you even once, how did you know where I was going to be? Are you stalking me too?”

                Otabek got off the bike, and looked Yurio straight in the eyes. Yurio swallowed hard. “I’ll explain everything… but not here… I want to show you something first.”

                Yurio grunted, but followed Otabek up the stairs to the roof of the building, and was greeted by, admittedly, a very nice view. Otabek looked out on the horizon for almost a minute before he finally spoke.

                “I guess you don’t remember me then.”

                “What are you babbling about?”

                “Five years ago, we actually trained together at Yakov’s summer camp.”

                “Really?” Yurio looked at Otabek in surprise. “I don’t remember that at all!”

                Otabek nodded. “At the time, I was in my first year in the junior division. But I couldn’t keep up with the Russian junior skaters, so I was put in the novice class. That’s where I met you. Beta Yuri Plitsetsky had the unforgettable eyes of a soldier.”

                “Me? A soldier?” Yurio decided he liked the sound of that, it certainly sounded better than ‘Russian Fairy’. “I had just moved my home rink from Moscow to St. Petersburg. I was desperate. I’d decided I wouldn’t complain until I was good enough. And no one was going to tell me I couldn’t get good enough.” It had been hard for Yurio, he was one of the smallest kids in the class, and when they learned he wasn’t an omega, a lot of kids had tried teasing him about looking so… omegan. Tried. Because Yurio basically kicked, bit, and punched everyone who looked like they might say something. He got into a lot of trouble in that camp… precious memories.

                Otabek smiled tightly. Maybe he remembered Yurio’s… activities too. “After that camp, I moved around to train, from Russia to the US, and then Canada. I only managed to return to my home rink in Almaty last year. Now more than ever, I want to win the championship for my country.”

                This was all… nice, Yurio supposed, but sharing a summer camp five years ago didn’t really warrant a kidnapping. “Otabek, why did you want to talk to me? I’m a rival, aren’t I?”

                “I always thought we were alike. That’s all.” Otabek was silent for a moment before turning to face Yurio fully, a hard expression on his face. Yurio frowned at that, but Otabek pressed on. “Are you going to become friends with me or not?” He held out his hand. Yurio stared at it for a moment. Otabek… wanted to be his friend?

                The cool looking guy who rode motorcycles and made dramatic entrances, and didn’t talk to most people?

                Who also didn’t like JJ?

                Yurio smiled and shook Otabek’s hand.

*

                “It’s not here either.”

                “Yuri, calm down and remember. It’s a bag of nuts we just bought. It’s a brown bag with green print.”

                “Sorry! I have no idea where I dropped it!” Yuri searched the bench and surrounding green space frantically. No dice. “I’ll go back to the shop and get another bag!”

                Victor sighed, running a hand through his hair. Yuri was reaching a point of exhaustion, and was getting worked up because of it. Since they left the suit shop, Yuri had been checking his watch constantly, insisting there was a lot he wanted to do before going back to the hotel. When he realized one of their shopping bags was missing, he had flown into a panic.

                “It’s okay, Yuri. The nuts shop would be closed by now. Let’s head back. You’re tired, right?”

                Yuri glared at Victor, surprising him by snapping. “You don’t have to say it like that!”

                Oh yes, Yuri was definitely tired. Victor sighed again. “Well, I’m tired.” After a stare off that lasted a moment or two, Yuri relented and the two walked in irritated silence that softened as they both silently forgave each other and wandered astray to look at a nearby Christmas market. Couples surrounded them, holding hands and linking arms. Some were obviously alpha/omega, and beta man/beta woman couples, but some were less obvious whether or not they met the social norm, and Yuri saw at least one couple that was almost definitely two alpha men, and he winced when he the scowls they were getting from some of the vendors, even if they seemed determined to not notice them.

                Yuri supposed, as much as Victor wasn’t a typical omega, he still seemed to have a clear omega smell. And even if Yuri was obviously a beta, not the slightest bit alpha in any way, people weren’t openly hostile about the two holding hands as they walked. Maybe a couple odd looks, but those might have been looks of recognition for Victor, Yuri supposed.

                Yuri glanced at Victor and remembered something, breaking the silence between them. “Victor, your birthday is Christmas Day, right? What would you like for your gift?”

                Victor made a non-committal noise. “In Russia, we don’t celebrate before the actual birthday. We don’t really celebrate Christmas, either.”

                “I see…” Yuri frowned. Even so, if they were together, he really should be getting his omega a gift for his birthday…

                Yuri’s eyes widened. When did he start thinking of Victor as his omega?

                “Do you want some hot wine, Yuri?”

                Yuri was startled from that thought and shook his head. “Ah, I try not to drink before a competition.”

                “Oh, right,” Victor said, watching Yuri closely as he looked around him with a sparkle in his eye. Victor knew he was looking for something. Who knew what, though?

                Suddenly, Yuri stopped walking for an instant before racing top speed to a jewellery shop window and peering inside with his hands pressed against the glass. “Victor! Let’s go in this store!”

                “Eh? Okay, Yuri.”

                Inside the shop, Yuri demanded that the shopkeeper show him something from the display case.

                “What are you getting, Yuri?”

                “A-a good luck charm! So I do my best in the Final! I always wanted a lucky charm… and…” Yuri trailed off as he told the shopkeeper he would pay in installments. Also, it was a gift to thank Victor for his help… and for everything else.

                “… gold rings as a good luck charm? Why two?”

                “Uh, well, one… one is for you.”

                Victor’s eyes lit up as Yuri took the back with the rings inside, and a wide smile spread across the omega’s face. “Really? You got us matching gold rings? You know… that’s going to look as if we’re engaged, Yuri.”

                Yuri’s face flushed. “Ah, well, I… I don’t care about that… i-if you don’t.”              

                Victor looked excited and clapped his hands. “Can I wear it now, Yuri?”

                Yuri started to nod and reached for the bag, then stopped, shook his head, and grabbed Victor’s arm, pulling him out of the shop and down the street. “Y-Yuri?”

                “Not in there,” Yuri muttered, “Want to do this right, I saw a perfect place earlier…”

                Victor realised what Yuri was thinking, and his face softened into a radiant smile as he was tugged toward the Barcelona Cathedral, where a Christmas choir was singing carols, and everything was bathed in soft street lights. Yuri finally let go of Victor at the top of the steps, and turned to him, cheeks red, breathing hard from how fast they had gotten there. After fumbling one of the rings out of the package, he reached out and took Victor’s gloved hand, and Victor’s breath caught in his throat as Yuri slid the ring onto his finger.

                “Thank you for everything up to now, Victor.” Yuri said breathlessly. “I-I couldn’t think of something better. But… I’ll try my best from tomorrow on, so…” Yuri swallowed hard, his face scrunching slightly as he filled with uncertainty. “Tell me something for good luck.”

                Victor let go of Yuri for a second, to get the other ring from the bag. He took Yuri’s hand and peeled off his glove as well. “Sure. I’ll say something you won’t even have to think about.” He smiled as he put the ring on Yuri’s shaking finger. “Tomorrow, show me a skating routine that you can honestly say you enjoyed performing.”

                Yuri felt tears prick his eyes as he nodded. “Okay!”

                They might not have said it, but to Victor it was clear. They had promised themselves to each other.

                They might not have said everything they needed to, but to Yuri it was clear. They had promised to do their best this competition. He wouldn’t dare as more than that.

                The two hugged, and Victor stole a chaste kiss from Yuri’s lips at the voices of the choir swelled around them.

*

                “I’m hungry,” Yuri declared as he and Victor walked by a restaurant, arms firmly around each other.

                “Let’s go grab a bite to eat, then,” Victor said amicably. At this point, he’d follow wherever Yuri’s whims led.

                Suddenly they heard screaming up ahead. Familiar screaming. Yuri tugged at Victor to go faster, and they saw Mari and Minako freaking out about something.

                “Minako? Mari? What’s wrong?” Yuri knew they had come to Barcelona to see him skate in the Finals, but hadn’t expected to run into them that day.

                “YURI! Look, look, Yurio looks like he’s enjoying having tea with someone!” Mari wailed.

Minako gasped. “It’s Otabek from Kazakhstan!” She pointed inside the restaurant and sure enough, Yurio was sat at a table with Otabek, talking animatedly with a light pink flush to his cheeks, while Otabek leaned his head in his hand, a fond expression on his face.

“Oh, so it is. We probably shouldn’t distur-AH!” Yuri gasped for breath as both alpha and omega girls grabbed onto him at the same time, nearly choking the life from him.

“YURI! We need a huge favour!”

*

                “I could just die right now!” Minako said as she swooned from being star struck. Not only had the four of them joined Yurio and Otabek, but it turned out that Chris and Phichit had been nearby too, and had come to join them for dinner!

                “It’s like we’re famous too!” Mari agreed, feeling warm from all the eyes on their table.

                “You are way too happy about this,” Yuri deadpanned.

                “Why did you all have to show up at once? This is bullshit,” Yurio muttered and crossed his arms.

                Yuri hummed. “Well… it’s still kind of weird for us all to be here before the Final starts like this. At last year’s Final, I was always alone, even at the banquet.” Yuri chuckled a little. “I couldn’t even talk to Victor!”

                At those words, Victor spit out his drink. The table fell silent as all the other skaters stared at Yuri aghast.

                “W-what?”

                “Yuri, you don’t remember?” Yuri couldn’t imagine why Victor looked so shocked and dismayed.

                “Huh?”

                Chris snorted. “Yuri, you got drunk on champagne and started dancing. Everyone saw it. Probably the best dancing I’ve ever seen from a beta man, if I’m being honest.”

                “HUH?!”

                Yurio scoffed. “Seriously? It was disgusting as hell. And… and I was dragged into a dance off and got humiliated too!”

                “A dance off? With Yurio? Wait… is that why you treated me like a threat? Did I beat you?”

                “NO, IDIOT!”

                Chris grinned. “I did my number with a pole dance, half naked.”

                Yuri flushed brightly as Victor dug out his phone. “I still have videos of what happened.”

                “I do, too!” said Chris.

                “Wait, what?” Phichit leaned over Chris’s shoulder to see the photos, since he hadn’t been at last year’s Final to see them in person. “Yuri, that’s so dirty!”

                “I want to see!” The girls wailed. Yuri tried to stop them from getting a look, and in his arm waving, Chris seemed to notice the glint of gold on his hand, and the matching one on Victor’s. He raised his eyebrows in interest.

                “What’s with the rings, you two?”

                “Rings?” Mari perked up immediately.

                “U-um… yes, this is…” Yuri swallowed. He hadn’t been expecting to be confronted about this so soon.

                “They’re a pair!” Victor said, happy and eager to show off.

                Phichit stared at Yuri. Then at Victor. Then he started clapping thunderously. “Congratulations on your marriage!”

                “Wait, no!” Yuri shrieked as Phichit stood on his chair and addressed the restaurant.

                “EVERYONE! My good friend here just got married to the Omega of his most wild and embarrassing fantasies!” There was applause from around the restaurant, along with a few whistles and shouts.

                “N-no, this is, um…” Yuri shook his head, trying to explain but feeling choked. “It’s to thank him for all his help… and a lot of… other things… yes, other things!”

                Victor chuckled. “Yes, don’t get the wrong idea. This is just an engagement ring. We’re getting married once Yuri wins a gold medal. Right, Yuri?”

                Yuri looked startled. “What? Victor?” He looked around the now-silent table. A declaration like that, was he trying to start a war?

                “A gold…”

                “…medal…”

                “… huh?”

                Yurio just scoffed.

                “Um, well…” Yuri started shaking. As if he wasn’t under pressure before!

                “WAIT A SECOND!” Everyone turned at the obnoxious voice of JJ Leroy, the skater no one ever wants to see when they are trying to eat. “I’ll be the one who wins gold and gets married, of course! That’s right, it’ll definitely be JJ! Sorry we can’t congratulate you on that future marriage, but you can’t stand in the way of a future power couple like us!” Isabella laughed as she held onto JJ’s arm. No one else did.

                In fact, everyone else got up immediately and walked out past JJ.

                “Well, tomorrow’s an early start. Better call it a night.” Victor said, stretching.

                “Huh? Wait a second, I was just joking!” JJ said, wide eyed in confusion at the icy reception.

                “The bill, sir,” a waiter said, holding out a very expensive bill to JJ. The Canadian’s jaw dropped.

                “I-I didn’t even eat here with them! How can this happen to King JJ?”

*

                The next bright morning, as Yuri slept in, Victor left the hotel to head for the waterfront, watching the sun rise of the water, looking at the ring on his finder as it glinted in the light. It felt right, seeing it there. Like it was a part of him he didn’t know he had missed until now.

                His dreamy thoughts were interrupted be a series of kicks to his spine. He was about to turn and ask what the big idea was when he heard a familiar growl behind him.

                Oh. It was hormone-boy, come to spread his angry misplaced rage again. Joy.

                “Victor Nikiforov is dead! Why do you look so happy to be looking after that damn pig? You should never have bothered with him!”

                Victor slowly leaned down until he was eye level with the fifteen year old. “Did you want to compete against me?”

                Yurio snorted. “Don’t be so full of yourself. Not all skaters look up to you, especially us betas. Just go away already, geezer.” Yurio’s eyes widened and he growled as Victor grabbed him by the chin to make him look Victor in the eyes. He knew he crossed a line somewhere, but he was too angry again to not press the omega futher. “The ring you got from that pig is garbage. I’ll win just to prove how incompetent his owner is. Let me go!” He pushed Victor away, seething.

                Victor squinted at the boy in front of him. He quirked an eyebrow. “Yurio… I’m not sure which of us you’re jealous of, but we’re both way too old for you.”

                Yurio let out an almighty screech, turned, and ran away from Victor, letting out a string of explicate words. No outright denial though. So, this was some sort of misplaced hormone crush apparently. And, Victor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he looked back at the horizon, there was no mistaking it now as far as he was concerned. Yurio was going to get more than he bargained for this Grand Prix Final. Victor could smell it.

*

                Last year, at the banquet after the Grand Prix Final, Victor could honestly say he had never had more fun in his life. He had danced with the most adorable beta boy he had ever seen, and watching the Japanese man snarl at any of the alpha skaters that tried to come near him had been strangely more endearing than irritating.

                Not nearly as endearing as when Yuri had thrown his arms around him, and begged him to come to his family’s Hot Spring Inn to coach him for next year though. A beta, willing to have an omega as a coach? As Chris has told him after, that was one in a million. He wasn’t going to let that one go easily.


	11. The Grand Prix Final Short Program

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At last, the GPF begins! Will Yuri do better than last year? And why does Yurio smell funny?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. The last chapter should be going up in a few days. I need to finish some of these fanfics I've got lying around. I'm so bad for starting things and not finishing them I swear to god.

**Episode 11: The Grand Prix Final Short Program**

                The Grand Prix Final. The arena where pretty boys become pretty men in a duel of blades meant to find out who has the most charm, the most grace, and the most powerful legs. This year, the six qualifiers were to be as follows:

                In sixth place, Katsuki Yuri, the sexy beta skater hailing from Japan in his second Grand Prix Final. Last year, he suffered a humiliating defeat, but this year the previous winner, Victor Nikiforov, has become his coach. Will the power of Love be enough to push Katsuki up the ranks?

                Phichit Chulanont is in fifth place, the shining star of the South East, writing figure skating history as the first Thai skater to both win gold at the Cup of China, and to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. Win or lose here, this charming beta man has already won the hearts of his people.

                Last year’s Junior champion, Yuri Plitsetsky of Russia, finished fourth in the Series during his senior debut! This year he has finally been allowed to jump quads, and this has served him well. He was firmly in second place during both of his qualifying rounds. At just fifteen years old, the beta is actually the youngest skater in the Final, and seeks to defend Russia’s prestige in this competition.

                The sensual heartthrob of Switzerland, omega Christophe Giacometti is third in the standings. The only omega to qualify for the final this year, following several years’ worth of qualifications, this omega has had plenty of experience shown off in his mature skating and surprisingly giant quadruple Lutz. We do, as always, expect a strong performance from Christophe.

                The dark horse in this Final, beta Otabek Altin finished second in the Series. Worshiped as a hero by his country of Kazakhstan, he won bronze at the World Championship, as well as gold at the NHK Trophy. A mysterious figure on the skating scene, many will witness his skating here for the first time.

                And finally, finishing first in the series is Canada’s beta extraordinaire, Jean-Jacques Leroy! The man of the hour, and only qualifier to win both of his events. He jumped six quads in both his short program and free skate, setting the rules for the rest of the world!

                The final round will soon begin, here in Barcelona!

*

                The taxi ride to the rink that morning had left Yuri buzzing with energy and his stomach squirmed beneath his ribs as he stood at the rink side now with Victor, each with their left hands wrapped around the other’s, their matching rings close together.

                This was it.

                “I’m going to show them, Victor,” Yuri said quietly, so only the omega could hear him. “I’m going to show them our love.”

                “I know you will,” Victor said back with a warm smile as Yuri let go and skated into the centre of the rink. As the sixth qualifier, he would be skating first.

                The announcer’s voice spread over the stadium. _“He’s greeted by a roaring crowd as he takes the ice, beta skater Katsuki Yuri of Japan. One year after he finished the Final in last place, Katsuki Yuri is about to start his short program. He is skating to ‘On Love: Eros.’ He’s supposedly changed his jump composition in this program for even higher marks.”_

                Yuri breathed deeply as the music began and his muscles moved automatically in increasingly familiar patterns. He knew that even if he topped his personal best again, he couldn’t compete with JJ’s program’s base score. Yuri has no choice but to change his program, making the jump a quad flip, even if he had barely landed it in practice. Yuri fought back a smile as he remembered the gleeful look on Victor’s face when he had asked if Victor wanted to see him land a quad flip with a plus three GOE. Since then, Yuri had focused practice time on the quad flip, but… the success rate was still low. But he was going to try it anyway.

                From the sidelines, Victor felt a mix of pride that Yuri no longer doubted his decisions… as well as anticipation and a dose of stress as he waited for the fateful jump to be made.

                “ _Triple axel with a difficult entry for higher marks. Next is a quad flip combination. Quad salchow, triple toe loop, success. Now, the highly anticipated quad flip.”_

                Victor found himself standing on his toes as Yuri sped up for the jump. In fact, he was so absorbed in the movements that he lifted off the ground in a jump spin the same moment Yuri did! As both landed, Victor wondered if Yakov felt like this watching his skaters, the feeling like he was back on the ice again as his students sped and soared.

                As excited as he was though, Victor still felt a twinge of disappointment that Yuri had had to put a hand on the ice to stop himself from falling. He moved into the spin easily enough though, so Victor might be the only one who knew how much Yuri was likely beating himself up over that mistake.

                As the routine ended with a flourish, Victor watched Yuri fall onto the ice, covering his face with his hands. Victor sighed to himself. When he had skated, he approached every program like a new beginning. He could always surprise everyone. But to always start anew… that held him back too, did it not? Because he had nothing to build on, then. He had thought, he could only find new strength on his own. Everyone was always saying that he was something every omega could look up to, strong and powerful, no need for an alpha, or any partner at all. Just… Victor Nikiforov, alone, shining. He thought that was all he needed. But now… as he watched Yuri, his beloved student, his beloved partner, he could only think that having someone couldn’t possibly detract from his strength, he had never felt more powerful than now.

                “ _Here comes the score for Katsuki Yuri. His score is 97.83. It didn’t break the 100 mark, but it’s still a high score._ ”

                He could only think that, really, if you have the right person in your life, your strength becomes limitless.

*

                Yurio sat in a bathroom stall, not having any idea why he felt so nauseous. Were these the fabled Grand Prix Final nerves setting in? He clutched his stomach as it rolled to the sounds of cheers as Phichit Chulanont likely landed a jump or something. Whatever. That smiling Thai wannabe only had one quad in his short, he wasn’t a threat.

                Why was his stomach still lurching, though? Yuri felt sweat at the back of his neck. Damn it, he knew this wasn’t just nerves. Was he sick? Damn it! Of all the shitty times to get sick! Yurio stood, turned, and hung over the toilet bowl and dry heaved a few times before letting it out. He stumbled out of the stall and cupped some water in his hands to swallow and wash the taste out. Urgh, his muscles felt shaky, but at least his stomach felt a bit better. He probably ate something bad. Stupid Spanish food! His phone went off in his pocket and he looked at it. Urgh, Yakov calling to yell at him about not being by the rink since he was up next, most likely. Yuri looked in the bathroom mirror and grimaced, using the water and a paper towel to fix the places where his sweat had smeared the makeup. It didn’t help much.

                “ARGH! WHY?!” Yurio wailed. Without warning, the bathroom door opened and Lilia strode in like she owned the place. Yurio squealed. “L-Lilia! This is the beta men’s room! You don’t belong in here.”

                Lilia huffed a little and Yurio’s nose wrinkled. Was she wearing a stronger perfume than usual? She reeked! Well, so did everything really, now that he noticed. He was surprised his nose wasn’t going numb from the nasty smells in here!

                “Neither of us belong in here, Yuri,” Lilia shook her head with sympathetic eyes, and Yurio flushed.

                “I’m not hiding! I… I just… I ate something bad! And I’m… m-my eyeliner is smeared a-and…” Yurio shuddered, shocked at himself. Was he about to _cry?_ His face heated up as rage began to overtake him, but he was halted by thin, warm, sweet smelling arms around him. His breath slowed, but only slightly.

                “We will make it better. I have some waterproof makeup in my purse, you will stay a youthful angel a little longer.”

                Yurio winced at the words as Lilia wetted a towel, wiped at his face, and got to work.

*

                Those idiots, Yuri and Victor… Yurio had had to kick them out of the kiss and cry just so Phichit could move in with his coach! Why did Yurio have to babysit those dorks?! Anyway…

                After spending several minutes with Lilia fixing his makeup, Yurio found himself feeling much better and was able to stand on the ice with confidence as the announcer dutifully recited his music selection and program information. When the music began, his movements were graceful, perfected, enchanting. With each jump, he kept an arm in the air to raise his score even higher. He knew few others would do so, as it made keeping balance much harder, but Yurio’s lithe form made it easier on him. He had to take every advantage he had to its furthest potential.

                Yurio lacked nothing but experience. And he trained so much, harder than anyone! He felt a sheen of sweat on his forehead and suddenly had a burst of energy surge through him.

                And suddenly… was it over? The stadium was cheering. Yurio could have sworn he didn’t so much as blink… his mind just went blank in the middle of his routine.

                Was that agape?

*

                Yuri watched Victor’s face with deep contemplation as Yurio’s short program score was announced.

                Yurio had beaten Victor’s world record.

                As Yakov seemed determined to hug the breath out of Yurio in the kiss and cry, Victor seemed very subdued. He hadn’t even noticed Yuri come up beside him. Did Victor… miss the ice?

                Yuri felt a deep stab of guilt in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a while. He could handle stealing Victor from the world, but… did he also steal the world from Victor?

                Finally, Victor noticed Yuri and suggested they find seats to watch Chris skate. Yuri agreed, following the omega blindly. He… he refused to be the sort of partner that hid his omega from the world. That’s just… wrong. And someone as talented as Victor… he shouldn’t have to suffer because of Yuri’s selfishness.

                Maybe it was better to end things, after all.

*

                “ _The next skater up is omega Christophe Giacometti of Switzerland, age 25. Though we are all still awestruck by Yuri Plisetsky’s world record performance, the arena is filling with Swiss flags! Skating to ‘Intoxicated’, Christophe is changing the mood 180 degrees from agape to adult sex appeal. His first jump is a quad Lutz, look at that flow into a combination spin! Giacometti has been advancing to the Final for years, but has never won the event. One is left to wonder how his longtime omega rival Victor Nikiforov feels as he watches this performance from the audience.”_

As Christophe performed, he felt a surge of melancholy fill him. After all, Yuri was not the only one to have had to watch Victor win year after year until now. And well… even if omegas peak later than alphas and betas, even they cannot last forever. At twenty five, Chris would not be able to qualify much longer. And honestly, to skate a season without Victor was boring. Not to mention, the pressure to excel as the last currently viable omega Finalist was immense. So no matter what, he had to do his best here. And if he could help it, he wouldn’t retire until at least one other omega reached their level in the men’s division! Maybe that Korean boy could do it… though honestly, he needed to learn to smile more.

                Ah, regardless. As Chris finished his perfect triple axel, he hoped Victor was watching closely from the audience. His dearest friend and rival.He jumped, but his quad was under-rotated but that hardly stopped him. He was a professional after all.

                By the time he finished, Chris knew he had at least outstripped Yuri. Maybe he could still make sure this Final had an omega victory again after all.

*

                Yurio finally finished talking to reporters, and spent some time in the bathroom cleaning off his sweat sheen, applying more deodorant than ever before, and took some headache medication since the dehydration was killing him. He turned down Lilia’s suggestion of going back to the hotel early to rest, however. He was going to see the rest of the competition, damn it! E-especially Otabek because… they were friends! Friends support each other, damn it!

                Yurio immediately spotted Yuri up in the stands beside that omega from the women’s division. Grunting slightly, Yurio made a point to sit behind them and kicked his feet up right between them, making them both look back at him in surprise as he loudly shouted good luck to Otabek on the ice, receiving a thumbs up in response.

                As Otabek began to skate, strong and powerful in his movements, Sala commented that this was the first year Otabek seemed actually memorable in his skating. Yuri had to admit she was right, after all, Yuri had apparently MET him before and didn’t remember seeing him before, well, yesterday. But now, now his skating was flawless, showing no hesitation. Yurio was actually pretty impressed. Well, why shouldn’t Otabek be impressive? He was Yurio’s friend after all!

                When the routine ended, Yurio laughed and said loudly, “Another score higher than the pig’s!”

                Victor didn’t seem to make any response like he had that morning though. Yurio scowled as Victor only commented on how ‘exotic’ and ‘fresh’ Otabek’s skating was. Well, at least Yuri looked shaken up. He should be! What was with that lacklustre performance earlier? Yurio KNEW Yuri could do better than that!

                Yurio’s scowl deepened as he saw JJ enter the rink. Urgh, this guy… well, Yurio had a world record now! If JJ beat that… if he did… Yurio would beat him! Into the ground! This idiot! How dare he think he can take this victory from Yurio? The Russian beta didn’t even notice as he stood up and headed for the rinkside, even as all the other skaters around him watched him go with puzzled expressions at how very angry and sweaty he looked. And… how smelled…

                Yuri’s eyes widened and he looked at Victor in shock. “V-Victor, why does Yurio smell like that? Did something happen to him?”

                Victor smiled a little. “Ah, so you can smell it too, now? Just a minute.” Victor pulled out his phone and Sala looked at Yuri in confusion.

                “Is Yuri Plisetsky on hormones?”

                “I don’t know.” Yuri said helpless as Victor hung up and within moments Yurio was making a scene as Yakov and Lilia half carried him away from the edge of the rink, whispering to him until he quieted in shock and let himself be hauled away as Yakov quickly told reporters that Yurio was feeling unwell but after a good night’s sleep would be more than ready to skate tomorrow.

                JJ stood at the rinkside feeling very confused indeed. He could’ve sworn he smelled a very angry alpha moments ago, but the scent was fading now. Oh well, he was too distracted to bother finding the source. He was here! At the final! Everyone was counting on King JJ to bring in another perfect victory!

                He was aiming for more than just supremacy over the Grand Prix Final, but also a grand slam of Canadian Nationals, the Four Continents, and the World Championship. And it was totally in his reach!

                Did… did he… wasn’t that last jump supposed to be a combo? Why did he only jump once? Uh… no problem! It’s fine! He would just turn the quad in the second half into a combo!

                H-His triple axel just turned into a single… JJ shuddered on the ice. Oh god… he was letting everyone down! He… he said he’d marry Isabella when he won gold, but after this… after this would she even want to marry a washed up man like him? And… And he was going to start hormone therapy after winning too, he was going to win it all, and then finally make his transition, and fight to be accepted at the alpha level, and now… who would take him now? How could he hope to compete like this?

                So this is the pressure of the Grand Prix Final…

                But… but as he felt like he was falling fast, he heard all around him singing and clapping. His fans! His fans still believed in him! He could still turn this around! His quad Lutz turned into a single, but it was still high! Of course JJ would take risks! He… he was the King!

                His score was 86.71. His lowest score in his senior division career. His parents were telling him it was okay, but… the corwd! The corwd was chanting his name! He was still JJ! He held up his hands.

                “STOP!” The crowd quieted. “IT’S JJ STYLE!” The crowd cheered loudly.

*

                “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Yurio wailed in the parking garage as the cheers sounded above him and he watched from his phone. “I can’t believe they still like him after that!”

                “Yuri, please take this seriously,” Lilia sighed and held out the pill to him again. He’d refused it three times already. “Just take this hormone suppressant for one day. You can’t afford to fully present during your competition, and there’s every chance you will!”

                Yakov growled nearby. “I still can’t believe you knew he was going to present as an alpha all this time and didn’t tell me.”

                “An omega always know. But would you have believed me? Anyway, as an alpha you should have been able to tell. You would have if your old smoking habit didn’t damage your sense of smell so badly,” Lilia said with a smirk. Yakov grumbled some more.

                “I can’t believe this!” Yurio screamed. “Most of my life, all I wanted was to present as an alpha, and it finally happens and NOT ONLY is it going to fuck up this competition, but ALSO my skating career if don’t let me keep my medals after this, and I won’t be able to BEAT Katsudon into the ground next year!” The rant was going to go on but Lilia waved his attention back.

                “That’s why you need to take this suppressant pill!”

                “Will that even work this late? He seems on the brink of presenting to me,” Yakov grunted.

                “Well we have to try,” Lilia said calmly as Yurio FINALLY calmed enough to take the pill and water bottle, swallowing the pill and most of the water in the process.

                “Do… do alphas always sweat this much when they present?” Yurio asked roughly. Yakov snorted.

                “Actually, they usually sweat more.”

                Yurio grumbled and finished the rest of the water with a scowl.

*

                Later in the hotel, Yuri scrolled Instagram while Victor dried off from his shower. “Oh, apparently Minako and Celestino are drinking at a bar.”

                Victor laughed. “Wow, okay, best keep our distance from them. Oh, Yuri, didn’t you say you wanted to talk to me about something?”

                Yuri nodded. “Right. Well, I’ve been thinking. What we’re doing... it’s not right. An omega like you doesn’t deserve to be my coach.” He deserved better. “So after the Final, let’s end this.”


	12. The Grand Prix Final Free Skate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so begins the end of Yuri's competitive figure skating career... or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINISHED A FANFICTION
> 
> Fucking finally.

**Episode 12: The Grand Prix Final Free Skate**

“Right. Well, I’ve been thinking. What we’re doing... it’s not right. An omega like you doesn’t deserve to be my coach. So, after the Final, let’s end this.”

                “Huh?” Victor must have misheard him. Yuri couldn’t be serious. Victor blinked at him owlishly.

                Yuri’s grip on his knees tightened as he continued to speak, and every word seemed to drive another nail into Victor’s heart. “You’ve done more than enough for me, Victor. Thanks to you, I was able to give everything I had into my last season. But after this, I’m going to retire. Thank you for everything, Victor.” Yuri bowed his head. Victor couldn’t think of what to say. He was in shock. Yuri looked surprised as he watched the omega’s face for a reaction. “Victor?”

                “Damn…” Victor felt his eyes grow wet, but didn’t bother wiping them and tears began to fall freely down his face. He took a shuddering breath. “I didn’t expect Katsuki Yuri to be such a selfish human being.”

                Something in Victor’s words must have made Yuri steel himself, as his shaking stopped and he held his head higher, spoke with more conviction. “Right. I am selfish. And I made this selfish decision on my own. I’m retiring.”

                Victor dipped his head down further so he wouldn’t have to look at Yuri, only to feel the beta brush his bangs aside to look at him anyway. Victor grunted.

                “What are you doing, Yuri?”

                “Oh, I’m just surprised to see you cry.”

                “I’m mad, okay?!” Victor snapped, slapping the hand away. How could Yuri say such a thing? Didn’t he know how much Yuri meant to Victor? Didn’t he value their relationship as more than just… business? Did he think Victor was so cold hearted as to not care when his partner broke up with him? Because that’s what this was, surely. And Victor… Victor couldn’t stand that.

                Yuri growled at Victor’s agitation. “You’re the one who said it was only until the Grand Prix Final!”

                Victor clenched his fists. Normally at this sort of tone he would amicably allow Yuri his way, but not now, not for this. “That was MONTHS ago, Yuri. Do you honestly think nothing has changed since then? I thought you needed my help more!” For more than just skating. Did Yuri not want him? Did the beta get bored of a… a needy omega? Wouldn’t a beta prefer another beta, is that not how it’s meant to be? Damn it… Victor hated thoughts like that, he hated them, but if what he had with Yuri was ending so suddenly, maybe it was true…

                “Aren’t you going to make a comeback? You don’t have to worry about me! I’d just be a distraction.”

                Victor straightened, eyes shining. “How can you tell me to return to the ice while saying you’re retiring?! What good is skating at all now, if you’re not going to be there?!”

                Yuri stared at Victor in silence for a moment. “I just…” he stopped, shook his head, and swallowed. “You’re so important, Victor.”

                Victor’s face scrunched in confusion. “But then, why-?”

                “Not just to me,” Yuri clarified, “Not even just to the skating community. Omegas… all omegas, everywhere. To take you away from them all-“

                “I’d have to stop skating eventually, Yuri!” Victor said sharply.

Yuri frowned. “But… you miss it. I saw you today! When Yurio beat your world record, when Chris was skating- the only omega in the Final. You wanted to be out there with them, I know you did!”

“I’m nearly twenty eight. I have, at most, two years left. Probably only one. Then what? What do I have after that? I can coach. I can coach you, but if you retire, maybe others. Children like Yurio. But that’s just throwing the rest of my life into this career! What about when my students go home? Do I just go back home with Maccachin, or when Maccachin is gone do I go home to an empty house and stare at cold metal trophies and medallions on shelves and do nothing but reminisce on my past victories?”

Yuri’s eyes widened. “Victor…”

                “I don’t want that future, Yuri!” Victor said with conviction. “I want my walls to be full of pictures of me and the person I care about, having fun and living our lives together! I want someone to sleep beside at night, someone to walk hand in hand with! I want to make a new beginning when I’m done skating, Yuri! I want to have children, and raise them to be whatever they want to be!”

                Yuri looked at Victor was a long time as the omega breathed heavily, his eyes still so wet, and the beta’s lip soon quivered. “I just… I didn’t think you wanted that. It’s so… stereotypical omega… I guess…”

                Victor let out a short, ugly laugh. “I’m allowed to want a family without being a stain on the campaign for omega rights, Yuri. Seriously? I am a star athlete, a coach of a star athlete, and I want to marry a Beta man, and yet the fact I want domesticity and children makes me some fainting, submissive…”

                “I didn’t mean it like that!” Yuri waved his hands and then ran them through his hair, tugging on it. “I-I just… this is a lot to take in.”

                “What’s so hard to take in about this?” Victor demanded. “I love you, Yuri. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together, and I want you to skate, and I want to be with you while you skate! Will you really mock me for that?”

                Yuri jumped. “No! No of c-course not, I just…” Yuri shivered. “I… I’m only twenty four, Victor… I know it’s not that much younger than you, but I really haven’t thought that far ahead. I-I mean I’m tried to think of what I’d do besides skating, but not…”

                Victor stared at Yuri for a moment, then his shoulders relaxed and he fell backwards against the window. “Right… I… I shouldn’t push you. It’s fine.” Victor took a deep breath. “Is it is enough to stay with you, for now? Is it fair for you to take the choice to remain your coach away from me? What do you want, Yuri?”

                There was another moment of silence as Yuri presumably contemplated his response.

                “I… my whole life, I loved watching you skate, Victor,” Yuri said quietly. “My whole life, I watched you, and I idolized you. I copied your routines. I had your posters on my walls. I dreamed only of getting to skate on the same ice as you, someday. Having you in my life, coaching me, b-being with me, everything else…. It’s been a dream. But honestly… what I want most is the chance to skate on the ice with you again, what I’ve always wanted.”

                Victor and Yuri’s eyes locked, and now both had tears running down their faces. Victor swallowed, stood, and moved to sit beside Yuri. He leaned his head on Yuri’s shoulder and whimpered pathetically. Yuri hesitantly wrapped an arm around Victor’s shoulders and leaned his head atop Victor’s and whimpered as well.

                Maybe they were both idiots.

                “I… I think we should both make our final decisions after the free skate,” Yuri said quietly. Victor made a noise of affirmation, but that night they still slept tightly wound around each other as though it would be the last time.

*

                At the rink before the competition, Yurio was on edge. The pill had sort of made the sweating go down, but he still felt like his temper was on a hair trigger and even though Lilia made a point to stand near him and keep some form of physical contact to ground him, the young budding alpha was absolutely on the verge of presenting and so Lilia had also dumped a proverbial fuck ton of perfume on him to try and mask the scent. It assaulted Yurio’s nose so hard he felt dizzy. This was no good, he couldn’t compete like this!

                “Lilia,” Yakov said, sounding reluctant, “We need to tell the judges about this. Yuri’s in no condition to be skating, and when it comes out that we knew his true gender and hid it…”

                “He’s come so far, Yakov! Do you really want to snatch his victory from him, now?” Lilia and Yakov stared each other down as Yurio worked to come to grips with himself.

                Finally he growled and got between his two coaches, looking from one to the other with fierce eyes and spoke in a commanding tone. “Look. I’m going to go to the bathroom to wash this perfume off. It’s giving me a headache. Then I’m going to go onto the ice and I’m going to skate. And yeah, people are probably going to realise that I’m an alpha. But I can deal with people smelling that on me. And… and if they take my medals away, it doesn’t matter, because I’ll still know I won.”

                “Your world record is still higher than the alpha record anyway,” Lilia mused.

                “But people will probably say it’s because the Beta/Omega judges are more lenient,” Yakov groused.

                “Then I’ll just have to beat it again in the alpha division next year!” Yurio said adamantly, “But right night, I’m going to wash this shit off. See you later.” Yurio then turned abruptly and walked away, leaving Lilia who looked content with his determination, and Yakov who looked ready to flip a table over Yurio’s presumptuous attitude.

                “That kid is never going to learn proper respect, who is he to just make this decision on his own?”

                “Yakov,” Lilia said gently, placing a hand on Yakov’s arm. The old alpha did seem to calm slightly as Lilia spoke. “Let him have this. You know alphas peak early. Let him take his victories as he can.”

                Yakov sighed, nodded, and both watched as Yurio turned a corner and left their view.

*

                JJ was in the bathroom stall with his hands in front of his face as he watched them shake with a rather detached feeling in his chest. He still wasn’t quite over how poorly he had done on his short program. He’d just… choked. What if it happened again? What if he came in last… how could he live with himself?

                And on top of that… if he was really an alpha deep down, shouldn’t he be able to fire himself up enough to overcome nerves? This is ridiculous!

                Suddenly, JJ heard the bathroom door open and nearly gagged at the overly-strong smell of alpha that poured inside. What was an alpha doing in the beta men’s room? Well… maybe they wanted to be something other than they were born as too, JJ supposed… he should just let them do their business.

                Even so, as he heard the sink start running JJ peering through the gap in the stall door and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor as he recognised the back of Yuri Plisetsky.

                Didn’t… didn’t his fans say he was a beta? Did he go on performance hormones?! That’s so illegal! JJ slowly eased open the door of the stall and stuck up behind Yuri as he leaned over the sink, scrubbing at his face.

                “Hey,” JJ said softly, only for Yuri to jerk upward and round on him in under a second.

                “YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE YOU ASSHOLE?! GET OUT!”

                “A-are you on hormones?” JJ managed to force himself to ask, “Cause you know, that’s pretty illegal. I get that a fifteen year old would want to do anything to match the competition, but you’ve got time.”

                “I’m not… I’m not CHEATING!” Yuri snapped, grabbing a lock of his hair and tugging at it in frustration. “Look, I don’t need to explain myself to you!”

                JJ stared at Yuri with a furrowed brow for a second. “Are you… are you a trans-alpha? Are you transitioning? That’s also… I mean, that’s also not really allowed during competition, even though I know it’s unfair…”

                Yuri growled and slapped a hand over his eyes. “No… goddamn it, I guess it is pretty obvious… I’m not trans alpha, I’m just… I’m just an alpha. Though it’s weird to say that…”

                JJ’s eyes widened. “You’re trans _beta_? S-sorry, I just… wow, did you leave your hormone suppressants at home? D-do you need help? A-are you going into rut because of the suppressants?”

                Yuri’s face lit up red now. “NO! I’m just… look, I’m apparently presenting late! I thought I was beta until yesterday, okay?!”

                “Oh,” JJ said, blinking as he took that in. He felt a twinge of jealously and his tone darkened. “Lucky you.”

                “LUCKY?!” Yuri scoffed. “I have to present during my senior debut, in the WRONG DIVISION! Even if I win, they’re going to dismiss it as a fluke because of my gender, and if I lose… I don’t even know…”

                JJ snorted and shook his head. “Listen kid, you’re lucky. If I suddenly presented right now, age nineteen, and it hit me so hard and I passed out and missed the free skate? I’d be the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

                Yuri looked at JJ with unimpressed eyes. “Yeah, but if I had a free skate like yours, I would have wanted to pass out and miss my free skate too.”

                JJ’s eye twitched. “Why you little… whatever! Look, the point is, even if I started hormones and transitioned to alpha, I wouldn’t be able to skate ANYWHERE outside of Canada! They don’t like transgender skaters compete worldwide yet-“

                “So be the first! What’s stopping you?” Yuri said with such a stubborn eye roll that JJ stopped in his tracks. “Aren’t you always going on about how you’re not afraid to take risks?”

                “I…” JJ swallowed. “I had thought… if I could just get golds in all the competitions… that if I transitioned to alpha they would think… trans alphas were at the standard…”

                “Alpha division isn’t some super extra hard mode being denied you!” Yuri’s breathing was harsh, and his tone too sharp, but the words shook JJ. “It shouldn’t matter if you can beat betas and omegas or not! What matters is that… if you want to be an alpha, then just do it already! Maybe you’d be less annoying if you didn’t constantly act like you’re trying to prove something!”

                JJ bit his lip a little, but shook his head. “It’s… not that easy… I mean, I’m not fully approved to even take hormones yet, part of the uh… well the whole JJ Style thing is acting like an alpha… so that the doctor will think I can take them… it’s unfair but it’s how it is.”

                Yuri looked at JJ for a moment, then blew out some air. “Well, I guess I don’t really have any real advice. Just do what you want. Don’t you need to get ready to skate first? Don’t fucking fuck up this time.”

                “Er… right,” JJ said, uncertain as he left Yuri in the bathroom to walk numbly toward the rink. What a weird conversation to have to Yuri Plisetsky of all people.

*

                _“The Beta/Omega Men’s Singles Free Skate is about to start. First on the ice is Jean-Jacques Leroy of Canada. A string of short program mishaps has cost him points, and he is far behind.”_

                “JJ, the music’s started!”

                JJ startled in the middle of the rink and skated the first movements in a hurry to catch up the beat. He couldn't believe he had just done that! He’d been skating for sixteen years, but now… it felt like he’d started that morning. His first jump… didn’t have enough speed, even though it was his specialty! He needed to calm down and get back into this. Yuri… he had a point. JJ had to do what he wanted. He couldn’t let any other expectations keep him from proving to himself what he was, what he could do.

                His next jump, the quad toe loop triple toe loop combo, was a success. But even so, JJ still felt like a bird with a broken wing. He didn’t deserve the applause he was getting. Even if he should be worried about anyone’s expectations but his own… his own expectations for himself were so high! And given current totals, he might only just make the podium if other skaters mess up. And then… what? Win out of luck? That’s not the JJ way!

                His triple axel was fine, at least.

                But honestly… did it matter, if he skated perfectly? Now, that was a thought. He was still King JJ, win or lose. And this routine… this… this final send off, will prove that to everyone, as well as himself! He decided. This will be his last routine in the Beta/Omega division. Whether he’s accepted back into the competitive world wide circuit or not, he was going be himself!

                The last jump was a quad loop, and thought he stepped out of it, JJ knew it was great jump.

                His battles wouldn’t end here. He’d have a lot of things to face in the years after this Grand Prix Final. But, well, what tale is more compelling than one that never ends, right?

                JJ’s final score may have been nothing special, but JJ’s heart still pounded as he approached his fiancée to tell her about his decision, a giant grin on his face.

*

                “A pupil’s accomplishment is headier than any wine. Phichit, use your performance to intoxicate the world.”

                “Alright, Ciao Ciao!” Phichit laughed as he headed for the ice.

                _“In his short program, Phichit Chulanont of Thailand, beta, age 20, bewitched the audience here in Spain. His supporters back home have high expectations, as well.”_

                Phichit did feel a touch of nerves as he began skating. He’d never skated in front of so many people! It made him want to be sure he made a perfect show!

                … he proceeded to stumble of his triple axel. But he got up immediately! He had to entertain! The toe loop was his only quad at the moment, but he nailed it! And he would make sure that he would stand out as a skater unlike any other!

                His last jump combo was flawless!

                Phichit closed his eyes. He had a dream he hadn’t even told Yuri about but… one day… one day he would have an ice show in Thailand! All his figure skating friends would be invited to perform! And they’d all wear hamster hats! Everyone in Thailand would know how fun figure skating is!

                … maybe that dream got a little weird in its specifics, but as Phichit waved to the crowd, he just knew that one day it would be a reality.

*

                “Don’t worry. You can win gold, Yuri. Believe in yourself.”

                Yuri looked at Victor beside the rink and bit his lip lightly as he leaned in close over the barrier. “Hey Victor. You said before that you want to stay true to yourself, right? So don’t suddenly start trying to sound like a coach now.” They held hands tightly, as though afraid to let go. “I want to smile for my last time on the ice.”

                Victor’s grip tightened further for a second. He looked at Yuri in the eye. “Yuri. I debated whether I should tell you this now or later but… listen to me. I took a break after becoming the five time world champion to coach you, right?”

                “Right?”

                “So how is it possible that you still haven’t won a single gold medal?” Ouch. “How much longer are you going to stay in warm up mode?” Yuri felt a tear prick his eye as Victor pulled him in close for a hug. “I really want to kiss the gold medal.”

                Yuri swallowed his tears, but his shoulders still shook as Victor cradled him on his shoulder, his scent filling Yuri’s nostrils, and the beta felt some sense of comfort.

                “Victor… no matter what happens in the standings, just know that how I skate right now is completely how I feel for you, okay?”

                “O-okay, Yuri.”

                As Yuri reached the centre of the ice. He knew he had made up his mind about his goal. He was a dime a dozen Japanese beta figure skater. He was twenty four. The sounds of a piano echoed around the silent stadium. His first combo, a quad toe loop, double toe loop, quad Salchow, a success.

                Yuri was always trying to catch up to Victor. Victor had brought him all the way to where he was now. And not just him, of course. His family and friends… in Hatsetsu and Detroit, everyone. Yuri thanked them all with his heart, and with the movement of his body, now.

                As the announcer called for a triple flip, Yuri threw in a triple loop. He had to surprise Victor, for what would be the last time. His performance had to be better than flawless if he wanted gold. Yuri had thought long and hard, and had decided he really wanted his final performance to have the same difficulty as Victor’s. The best love letter he knew how to write.

                A triple axel, then a quad toe loop instead of the next planned triple flip. Did Victor see it now? What Yuri was doing for him? For them? The next jump combo was done well too, but Yuri wasn’t thinking about it much anymore. He was struck by the sudden realization that… really… he didn’t want this to be the last time. The last routine. The last glance at the omega he had come to love. He didn’t want it to end here, he wanted to be in figure skating with Victor forever.

                His next combo was a success as well.

                But even if Yuri wanted Victor to stay with him, Yuri knew that keeping him as a coach would kill him as a competitive skater. And if that was the case, the only remainder of the Victor whom he fell in love with as a child would just be in Yuri’s own movements, his own skating, and it just wasn’t enough. He wasn’t ready to see Victor’s end yet, either.

                Victor becoming his coach wasn’t a waste of time, though. Not in the slightest. And Yuri was the only one out there who could prove that to the world.

                _“The last jump is a quad, the signature move of his coach, Victor Nikiforov! A quad flip! He did it! Katsuki Yuri has succeeded in creating a masterful culmination of his career!”_

                When Yuri looked toward Victor, his performance done, he saw arms opened wide  and tears falling freely down the omega’s face. Yuri felt like crying too. But he didn’t want to go to the kiss and cry. If he went there… then that means it’s really over.

                But even if he didn’t want to go, he had too. Even as Victor reassured him that he would get a great score… he wasn’t comforted. No matter how well he did, he wasn’t going to get the chance to do it again, and that broke his heart utterly.

                _“We have beta Yuri Katsuki’s scores. His free skate score is 221.58! He’s broken omega Victor Nikiforov’s long-time world record His total score is 319.41! He’s jumped all the way to first place!”_

Yuri sat dumbfounded as Victor nuzzled into Yuri’s side, practically purring in happiness as he congratulated him. He… he beat Victor?

                “Oh Yuri… having both Yuris beat my records is the ultimate bliss as your choreographer and coach…” Victor drew back and smiled. “But it’s the ultimate diss as a competitior.”

                “Huh?” Yuri perked up, “Does that mean you’ll come back to skating?”

                Victor continued to smile, and Yuri felt his heart soar in ways he couldn’t describe as a matching smile spread across his own face he hugged Victor back with gusto.

*

                Chris stood in the middle of the rink, not sure how he felt about having to follow a world record for the second time in the same competition. If he wasn’t so seasoned it would likely affect him a lot more. But… still. It was rumoured that Katsuki was going to be retiring, a full year younger than Chris, and he hit a world record? Yikes.

                Chris had thought that this Grand Prix Final would be his last chance to win gold… but both Yuris had easily beaten his personal bests. It wouldn’t be easy getting his hands on a medal at all, this year. But even so, Chris thought he’d be able to enjoy himself to the end.

                He landed his quad Lutz as expected, and glimpsed the kiss and cry where Yuri and Victor were still sitting and laughing. Urgh, Victor wasn’t even watching him! Did he just not care, now?

                Chris blushed brightly when he realized his distraction had caused his quad Salchow to turn into a single. What was he, a knothead alpha, jealous of an omega’s attentions? He had his own partner up in the stands watching, but somehow he needed to knew Victor, his idol, his rival, was still around watching his every move to do his best…

                But then, perhaps that was where Chris always failed. He noticed Victor and Yuri both had their eyes on him now, and were cheering, Chris blushed more. He had gotten too used to having Victor ahead of him. He had felt such comfort in that, in doing well enough, but having another omega taking the top spot so that really he felt secure in his gender and his right to be on the ice with betas that sometimes would act superior and… and Chris tried not to notice how uncomfortable it was to be surpassed by someone other than Victor. But even if Victor was gone, Chris could still prove himself a credit to this competition, and omegas everywhere, as Victor once did. And as Chris had always done beside him.

_“A triple axel! Triple axel, single loop, triple Salchow. His final jumps were successful! Yes, he brought a combination he usually does in the first half into the second half instead. We have a standing ovation from the audience! Just look at their enthusiasm!”_

                Chris saw what he smelled to be an alpha Japanese woman with long hair holding out a flower wreath at the edge of the rink as Chris finished. He skated towards her and bowed his head to let her reverently set the flowers atop it. He stood tall, winked and said, “Merci!”

                A slew of women of all secondary genders screamed in glee, and Chris blew them all a kiss. Even if he was old for a skater, it looked like he was still oozing that sweet omega sex appeal!

*

                Chris was in third after four skaters, leaving Otabek as next to take to the ice, skating to the second movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. He only wondered if Yuri Plisetsky was watching him… he hadn’t seen him anywhere yet, though perhaps he was warming up somewhere in the bowels of the stadium. Oh well. Time to take centre stage. The whole world was watching.

*

                “Yakov, I want to talk to you about something,” Victor said as he caught Yakov, Lilia, and Yurio walking down the hall toward the rink.

                “Right now? Tell me later, it’s almost Yuri’s turn!”

                “Oh yeah, about that. Aren’t you doing anything to cover the alpha scent? It’s really strong,” Victor wrinkled his nose as Yakov rolled his eyes as Yurio sputtered curse words beside him.

                “We can’t do much right now, we’re just going to send him out there and see how it goes. Anyway, is that all?”

                “Oh no, I want to come back to skating professionally.”

                There was a beat of silence.

                “WHAT?! You’re coming back?! And you just decided this now?!”

                Victor nodded. “Yeah, for now, I’ll time my return to the Russian Nationals.”

                Yurio’s eyes snapped up to Victor’s and he grabbed Victor’s shirt sleeve in a flash. “Hey! Does… does that mean the Katsudon’s retiring?”

                Victor sighed, his eyes sad. “That’s his decision to make. He said he’d decide after the Final was over.” He looked at Yurio. So small. So full of life. Just presenting now… about to begin one of the biggest journeys of his life and…

                Victor grabbed the smelly little alpha into his arms and squeezed hard. He whispered into his ear, “Don’t forget what it is that you want. Now is the time to take off.”

                Yurio was too surprised to say anything in response, but the heady smell of distressed omega around him soothed his nerves more than anything else. And as the nerves faded, he felt more energy than ever before course through his muscles. He could do anything, anything at all.

*

                _“Otabek Altin has landed all his quads! Triple flip, single loop, triple Salchow. A triple loop! All of his jumps were successful! He just passed Jean Jacques Leroy by a sliver and is currently in second! Katsuki remains in first place. The final skater to take the ice is Russian fifteen year old, beta skater Yuri Plisetsky.”_

                “Beta, right,” Yurio mumbled under his breath as he heard Otabek send him a call for good luck from the kiss and cry. He sent his friend a quick thumbs up, wondering how he was going to take the news of his late presenting schedule.

                He wondered if anyone near the sides of the rink could smell him now… urgh… embarrassing, but this wasn’t the time to think of that. Victor was distressed. Katsudon was leaving. To Yakov, and Lilia, his grandfather… Yuko and the rest. And… and to Katsuki Yuri, Yurio wanted them all to watch him closely.

                _“He is skating to ‘Allegro Appassionato in B Minor’. Yuri Plisetsky hammered out a new world record with his short program. If he wins the Grand Prix Final in his senior debut, he will make beta/omega men’s singles history. First up is a quad! A quad Salchow. Success! A spiral… into a triple axel. Another success! That was a difficult entry, and he used a raised arm with the jump, earning higher marks for greater difficulty. As you can see from the sheen of sweat, he is pulling his all into this performance!”_

                Yurio remembered when he first saw Katsuki Yuri skate at the Grand Prix Final the year before. He screwed up his jumps, sure, but his step sequences were masterful, you couldn’t look away. Yurio had wanted to see Katsuki skate without mistakes, he definitely had more potential. Yurio had wondered what kind of guy this other Yuri was but… he had been crying in a bathroom stall! What a loser!

                And now… now he was going to just retire after winning gold? He didn’t care as long as he beat Victor’s high score? That’s bullshit! How dare the other Yuri disappoint him?! There’s no gold medals for pigs! Yurio would beat him if he died doing it!

                With a surge of passionate energy, Yurio leapt into the air for his quad toe loop… and fell big time. He barely seemed to feel it, though, and got up immediately into a perfect spiral position.

                Next year he wouldn’t be a prima ballerina like Lilia wanted him to be. He wouldn’t be a tiny boy anymore. Would he look like his grandfather when the hormones settled him out in a new shape? How long did he have to skate before that happened? No matter what, Yuri had to keep moving forward, to remake himself as many times as necessary.

                His next combo was done with both arms in the air. He would make up any lost points! Was the other Yuri watching? We was going to beat that record one day, even if the record books still hold his name in this gender division, Yurio will still take the lead!

                He put a quad into his next combo. Even a month ago he would be exhausted by now, but something was stirring within him, and his energy was endless! And if Katsudon retired now, Yurio would make him regret it for the rest of his life!

                Triple axel, single loop, triple Salchow and…. And it was over.

                Yurio’s body seized on his final position, as though something had squeezed every joint at once. His eyes bulged as pain raced down his spine, and collapsed, sobbing, as sweat poured from him. His face felt like it was on fire even as the announcer’s voice excitedly announced his bare victory over Katsuki. He groaned, and then noticed a hush fall over the crowd and Yakov yelling before he blacked out.

*

                “Is Yurio going to be okay? Was it a seizure, Victor?” Yuri asked hurriedly as Yakov and Lilia took the now awake, though stumbling, Yurio past a group of hungry reporters over to the infirmary to be looked over.

                “Ah, well,” Victor licked at his lips, “You know how I told you that Yurio was on the verge of presenting as alpha?”

                “Well, yes, and I can still hardly believe it.”

                “Well, uh, omega or alpha, presenting takes a lot of energy. But as I understand it, part of the presenting process for alphas involves a huge energy high, which usually results in a, um, sort of pre-rut stage, but because Yurio’s program was so demanding, I guess the energy exertion counted enough for Yurio to reach the next stage… crashing. Hard. He’s probably going to need to rest for a couple of days.”

                “Oh,” Yuri frowned, “So it’s definitely going to get out that that’s why he collapsed…”

                “I’m sure some people would have guessed, what with how many people have smelled him now, and well, you know…”

                “His unconscious boner on the ice?” Chris suggested, striding over to the two discussing things by the rinkside. “Yes, it’s probably the most excitement during a Final there’s been in years, wouldn’t you say, Victor?”

                Victor laughed, but Yuri was contemplative as he looked at the silver medal in his hands. After Yurio had woken, there had been a rushed ceremony where an alarmed looking Otabek and Yuri stood on their parts of the podium while Yurio was held up by his coaches on the ground to receive his medal before being ushered quickly away.

                “Um… so it’s not a gold medal…”

                Victor smiled. “I don’t feel like kissing it unless it’s gold.” He sighed dramatically. “Oh man, I really wanted to kiss Yuri’s gold medal. I’m such a failure as a coach. Yuri, do you have any suggestions?” Victor leaned in close to Yuri. “Something that would excite me? What did you think just now?”

                Yuri swallowed. “Well, you could kiss me, instead.”

                Victor squealed, and Chris politely looked away as the two shared a heartfelt kiss that ended when Yuri pushed Victor back to ask him to stay with him in competitive figure skating for one more year. This made Victor cry, and they kissed some more, and Victor told Yuri he wouldn’t be satisfied unless Yuri won gold five times like Victor did. Then they kissed some more. And cried some more. Chris wondered if they would pass out from dehydration.

*

                The next month following the competition was a media frenzy.

                Of course Victor’s return was big news, and JJ’s transition and campaign to continue to skate at the international level was gaining headway.

                Mostly, there were protests to force Yurio to return his gold medal, saying that somehow he had ‘purposely timed his presentation to assure victory’ or some nonsense. But ultimately, when Yuri insisted that he respected Yurio’s victory and wouldn’t trade his silver for an unearned gold, and when Otabek said the same about his bronze medal, and even JJ said he wouldn’t knock Yurio down to take a bronze medal even if he never got to skate again, Yurio was determined to be allowed to maintain both his world record and victory.

                Now a new debate arose as Yuri and Victor sat at a table in the Yutopia Inn.

                “I heard they’re talking about taking down ALL secondary gender barriers in skating!” Minami, who had somehow become a frequent face at the inn, said excitedly to a bunch of listening guests. “They’re saying with the rise of skaters coming out as trans in the wake of JJ’s petitions, and with Yurio being accepted by the other skaters, plus support from alpha skaters to the idea, pretty soon we might see just a… just a men’s and a women’s skating division in a few years! How weird is that?”

                “Pretty weird, I’ll admit,” Yuko said looking at her triplets, and thinking how nice it would be to have Axel skating in the same division as her sisters. “But I’d support it.”

                “Me too! The genders aren’t really THAT different after all!” Minako said loudly, slightly drunk already it seemed. “I want to see all the hot guys at the same time, damn it!”

Loop grinned, throwing an arm around each of her sibling’s necks. “Who knows, maybe one day, we’ll just have one big skating competition for everyone!” The room laughed at the idea, but it was a warm laugh, full of hope for the future generation.

Yuri looked at Victor, and both smiled. Victor turned to loop. “That’s a big dream. But you know, there’s a place you just can’t reach unless you have a dream that’s too big to bear alone.”

“What place is that?”

“We call it, Love.” Yuri said, putting an arm around Victor, and they leaned their heads together easily.

The triplets stared at them.

“You guys call everything love.”

“Get a new word.”

Everyone laughed as the beta and omega blushed.

**The End**

_“Don’t forget what it is that you want. Now is the time to take off. Fulfill your dream. Only you can make it a reality. Live your life. Dance your dream. Sing, sing, sing your own song. Do to the fullest, play to the fullest, and discover. Find your path, and go above and beyond it! Now is your beginning. Live your own life._   _Now is your beginning. This is your time.”_


End file.
